Alliance
by MasterMind 16X
Summary: It's been seven years since Link sealed away Vaati in the Four Sword, five since sealing Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm. Hyrule has entered an era of peace, until Link is attacked by a moblin. No pairings. T for my paranoia and some violence. I'm throwing most LoZ games in this story.
1. Chapter 1

Alliance

Mark three. Hopefully the last time I have to do this to chapter one.

Disclaimer: I don't own the Legend of Zelda, that right belongs to Nintendo.

Chapter 1:

Link, a young man about seventeen years old, was wandering the calm plains of Hyrule field. As he was walking in the calm, early morning sunlight, he heard a snarling noise. Link turned his head towards the noise and saw a large, pink, club-wielding moblin running towards him. The moblin quickly made it to Link and swung its club at Link's head. He ducked, but the moblin's club knocked his hat off, revealing his blonde hair. Link, noticing the massive torso of the moblin, kicked its feet out from under it, hoping that it would lose its balance due to the disproportional size of the moblin's arms and chest compared to its relatively small legs. As the moblin flayed about on the ground, hideous pig-like face snarling, Link drew his sword, feeling the balance of the blade. The moblin somehow managed to get to its feet and ran towards Link, club raised and hideous snout grinning in a sort of primitive joy. At the last second of the moblin's charge, so quickly it wouldn't have been able to react even if it saw the attack coming, Link thrust his sword into the heart of the moblin, killing it instantly. Instead of bleeding, the moblin turned black and disintegrated into purple smoke. Link, accustomed to this reaction from the hundreds of thousands of monsters he had killed, just rolled his eyes and put his standard, military-grade sword that he was given to replace the Master Sword back in its sheath and quickly ran to Hyrule Castle.

As Link ran towards the castle, he passed by a couple of trees in the field until he eventually made it to the large, forbearing drawbridge that marked the entrance to Hyrule Castle Town. The guards at the gate saluted him as he passed. Link ran through the town, past all of the stalls. Since it was still pretty early in the morning, there were few people up and about the town, but several people were still there to shout "Hail the Hero of Hyrule!" as he passed. Link ignored them, his mind focused on getting to the castle. He had to get to the castle.

Link ran out the back entrance of the town, past the Happy Mask Shop, and into the small field that surrounded Hyrule Castle. Link ran past the guards who saluted him or muttered "Hail, Hero," as he passed. He ran through the gates erected along the road to regulate traffic, though there was little at this time of the morning. Link noticed the new gargoyles along the ramparts of the gates. They disturbed him, but he was too focused to figure out why. Link continued running, showing the guards his remarkable cardiovascular endurance, past the field, over the bridge that the guards used to avoid swimming in the now zola-filled moat, until he at last stood at the doors of Hyrule Castle.

Link burst through the large, golden doors of Hyrule Castle, running past all the ornate tapestries and statues of the Goddesses, past all of the stained glass windows depicting beautiful pictures of past princesses and battle, to the large, golden throne, where Zelda sat, looking as beautiful as ever. Her long, golden hair shook as she turned to look at him, puzzled by his apparent urgency. Most times Link burst into the castle like that, unannounced, something had gone seriously wrong. "Link, what's going on? What happened?" she asked, worried that someone was grievously ill or severely injured. Last time Link burst in like that, Rusl was severely injured by a wolfos and was in desperate need of medical attention.

"Zelda, someone's back. Some villain is back, and we're completely unprepared!" Link replied hysterically.

"Link, I need you to calm down. Now, please tell me why you think that a villain has returned," Zelda calmly replied. She was accustomed to this sort of thing. Link would occasionally burst into the throne room and tell her that some villain has returned because he had a nightmare and saw some villain. Link would think that it's a vision, but he never had any real proof. Zelda would get the castle ready, just in case, but Link's nightmares proved themselves to be just that; nightmares. Zelda thought it was a form of post-traumatic stress.

"I just fought a moblin, and I'm positive I wiped all the moblins out a long time ago. The only way a moblin could possibly roam Hyrule now is if someone remade one, and the only people twisted enough to create such hideous creations would have to be some villain!" Link said.

"Whose moblin? Who do you think made it out?" Zelda, though often doubtful of Link's belief in a villain returning, had no problem believing what he says. Link never lied, and although he may get a little paranoid when it comes to villains returning, Zelda believed in what he says. If Link said he fought a moblin, then Zelda knew that Link fought a moblin. Link's dreams were one thing; his real-life experiences were another. And, since Zelda knew Link was never in a dream-like state (he was either fully awake or completely out, never in between), she immediately dismissed the possibility of a day-dream or hallucination.

"It looked kind of like both. During Ganondorf's reign, the moblins all bore either clubs or crude iron swords and they were an average size, like my size, and a greenish color. When Vaati was around the moblins all carried spears and were pink, with disproportionally huge upper torsos. The moblin I fought was pink and had a disproportionally huge upper torso, but it carried a club. I'm not sure whose moblin this is. If I had to hazard a guess I'd say it's likely Vaati's, but I'm not very sure of that. The fighting style was similar to the moblins Ganondorf used," Link replied.

"Then we have to check. Come with me!" Zelda quickly darted out the back door that Link knew led to the sanctuary where the Four Sword was kept. Link followed her, having to sprint to catch up.

As they ran down a long flight of stairs Zelda said to Link "Personally I'd rather it be Vaati who is free. He's a lot weaker than Ganondorf and he'd only require a little beating by the Four Sword to reseal." That was Zelda, even in the possible moment of a crisis she always looked at things in an academic, analytical way, kind of like a tactician. She rarely got directly involved in anything, so she didn't fully understand the danger that even Vaati presented. Though, in her defense, she was a statue during most of Vaati's reign.

Zelda turned down into the dark basement of Hyrule castle and ran outside a small door into the sanctuary, where Vaati lay, sealed within the Four Sword. The sanctuary was outside and very green. There were bushes and trees scattered everywhere, with several insects and birds flying around. The sun shone brightly here, even though it was fairly early in the morning. The area around the Four Sword, however, was dark and dead. The sun's rays didn't seem to reach that little circle around the sword. Even the insects that buzzed around them wouldn't go near it. The Four Sword was still in its enchanted pedestal that was supposedly holding Vaati. Zelda walked up to it and examined it, waving her hands over it and muttering under her breath. Link figured she was casting a spell to figure out if the seal had been broken.

"I don't see anything wrong with this seal. That means it was probably Ganondorf whose moblin you just killed," she said. Zelda seemed to grow a bit more nervous, which Link understood. After all, Ganondorf was the one who captured Zelda while she was fully conscious.

"Uh, Zelda, the area around it is completely dead. What makes you think it wasn't Vaati?" Link asked. Link noticed that when Zelda got focused, she tended to ignore some obvious things. Link knew very little about magic; he preferred to use his common sense, brains, and brawn to solve his problems, not some fancy spells. Link's reluctance to use magic extended to a reluctance to use magical items. Link refused to use the Four Sword until it came time to seal Vaati. Link also preferred to use the Biggoron sword until he had to fight Ganondorf. Link was also hoping that, if someone had to be free, that it'd be Vaati. Link's nightmares after fighting Vaati were considerably less intense than the ones he got after beating Ganondorf. Vaati was evil, and a very nasty villain, but he was no where near as bad as Ganondorf. Vaati had a some obvious and easily manipulated weaknesses that Link was able to use to beat with Vaati a basic, simple sword before sealing him away into the Four Sword. Ganondorf had no such weaknesses. Link's victory was solely due to the power of the Master Sword. On top of all that, Zelda's obvious concern over it being Ganondorf was helping to remind Link why he was so terrified of that man. Link was terrified at this point, but his adventures led him to ignore his fear and push on anyway. Fear was something that Link only noted; he never acted out of fear anymore.

"The area around the Four Sword is dead because Vaati's evil magic seeps through the seal and kills the land. That's also why the seal breaks every so often; because Vaati is stronger than the sword he's trapped in," Zelda replied.

"Hang on a minute, does that mean Ganondorf is stronger than the Master Sword?" Link asked. Link, despite the situation, couldn't help but feel both shock and a guilty bit of pride.

"No," Zelda said. Link's small flash of pride quickly faded, "but since we sealed Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm, he may have found another way out. The Sacred Realm is kind of like a parallel to our world. There are ways in and out besides the main entry sealed by the Master Sword, and the seal is as strong as the blade. No one is stronger than the Sword of Evil's Bane, but both Vaati and Ganondorf are stronger than the Four Sword. The Four Sword cannot repel evil, either, so it's all around a worse sword. Well, you'd better get to the Temple of Time and get the Master Sword so you can vanquish Ganondorf again."

Link gave Zelda a long look saying something like, "You mean _we'd _better get to the Temple of Time." Link really doubted Ganondorf would stay in the Temple; in fact, that was the exact opposite of what Link expected Ganondorf to do. Who would want to stay in the place that held the gate to one's prison? And Link wanted Zelda to be there when he pulled the sword, in case something happened. Last time Link touched that sword he was trust seven years into the future. Link wanted Zelda there in case something else went magically wrong, so she could hopefully fix it.

Zelda sighed and turned around to exit the sanctuary and exited the castle. Link followed, without saying a word, and the two of them walked through the basement of Hyrule Castle, into the Castle Town. It was still fairly early in the morning, so the town's usual chaos wasn't present, though it was a bit more active than when Link had first arrived. Link and Zelda walked to the Temple of Time, which was just barely out of town. It was far enough away to not be disturbed by the normal activity of Hyrule Castle Town, but close enough to still be in full view and easily accessible to any who wanted to go there.

Link and Zelda entered through the grand archway and passed through the huge antechamber, passing several tall, ornate pillars. The early morning light passed through the stained glass windows, illuminating the room in an array of mystical colors. The candles and torches that were always lit, kept that way by magic, added to the overall mystical feel of the room.

They proceeded to pass through the doorway that once used to be the Door of Time into the inner chamber, the chamber where the Master Sword rested. The light came into that room through a single skylight, and the light settled on the Master Sword, giving the weapon a holy look.

Link walked up to the Master Sword, reached for it, "Stop, Link!"

Link, surprised, turned around and looked at Zelda. Her face was pale, and she looked scared. "What? Why?" Link stuttered.

"The pedestal holding the Master Sword is glowing. Don't you dare pull that sword!" Zelda commanded. Link just continued to stare at her.

Eventually, Link asked "What does the glowing have to do with Ganondorf being sealed?"

"When the pedestal glows it means that the Sacred Realm is sealed. Ganondorf didn't open a way out," Zelda said.

"Then who made the moblin?" Link asked.

"I don't know. Maybe Zant?"

"Zant's dead. He was killed during the battle against Ganondorf. Is it possible that a new villain is roaming the land?"

"I guess so. Someone made that moblin, and all known villains are accounted for," Zelda said.

Link was about to say something when his hand began to glow. The mark tingled with a kind of raw energy. The mark on the back of his hand was reacting to something, Zelda's was, too. They both turned and looked at the entrance of the Temple. Link saw a huge, black shadow monster with a long snout-like face and sharp claws on its hands approach them. The creature walked on all fours, though it looked as though it could easily walk on its hind legs and use its claws as weapons.

Zelda threw a bright, golden ball of magic at it, but the creature seemed to absorb it. Link, having mastered the art of aiming almost instantaneously, shot a light arrow at the creature, but it had no affect. The creature kept on walking towards them, the arrow sticking out of its shoulder. Link threw the ball and chain at it, but the creature caught it and yanked it out of Link's hands. It crushed the ball and chain in its hand and threw it away like it was trash. Both Link's and Zelda's eyes grew wide with fear. The mark on the back of his and Zelda's hands grew brighter. The creature approached even closer. Link drew his sword and readied himself for an intense fight. The creature kept walking. It was now in the room containing the Master Sword. Link lunged at it, faster than the eye could see, but the creature caught the sword and threw it, with Link still holding onto it, to the side. Link hit the ground, hard. The creature kept going. Zelda tried to blast it with a large amount of magic at close quarters, but it had no affect this time, either. The marks on the back of Link's and Zelda's hands grew even brighter. The creature kept walking towards the Master Sword. Zelda stood in the way of the creature, as if to protect the Master Sword. It kept walking. Zelda remained unmoving. Link was not going to let that creature kill Zelda, and leapt in the way of the creature, shoving Zelda aside in the process. Zelda gasped in surprise and, after she saw what Link had done, yelled something that Link didn't quite catch. Link stuck his arms out to the side in a sort of "You shall not pass!" way. The creature grabbed Link by the throat and lifted him up off the ground. The mark on the back of his hand glowed incredibly bright. As the light hit the creature it howled in pain and threw Link at Zelda, knocking them both to the ground. Zelda screamed in pain, Link merely grunted, but couldn't move because of the pain in his arm. The creature hissed at them and kept walking towards the Master Sword. The mark on Link's hand dimmed down to the same brightness as Zelda's. The creature stopped in front of the Master Sword, reached out to grab it, grabbed it, and howled out in pain. The Master Sword began to glow. The creature exploded in a blast of light, knocking Zelda out and nearly knocking out Link. Before Link passed out he heard a voice saying "It failed. Lord Ganondorf is still sealed. Time to try Lord Vaati's seal."

Author's Note:

Third attempt. Well, third times a charm, right? Hopefully this edition is notably better and I don't need to redo it again. So, please review, tell me what you think. Newcomers, I would appreciate any ideas regarding plot and what you thought of my story so far. Sorry about the next few chapters, I still need to go back and edit them. Trying to get chapter one before the next few. People who have already read this, please let me know how improved this version is from the last one.


	2. Chapter 2

Hey, I'm fixing chapter 2 now! Here it goes, and since I doubt I remembered any form of disclaimer anywhere else in this story, here it goes: I do not own The Legend of Zelda. As of right now, Nintendo owns it and won't sell it to me. Why else would I be writing FanFiction?

Chapter 2:

Link woke up a few hours later in a bed what he recognized as the castle's infirmary. The white-washed walls reflected much of the light coming in through the window, making it difficult to determine the time. He bolted upright and fell back almost instantly. He was sore, very sore, and very tired. He looked to his side and saw Zelda laying in a bed on the far side of the room, near the window. Link turned his head the other way and saw the castle physician sitting in a chair, reading a letter. The physician looked up, pushed his enormous glasses back on his face, saw Link awake, and quickly put down his letter to come check on Link.

"How are you feeling?" the physician asked, his old, wrinkled face filling Link's view.

"My body is sore, my mind is tired, and I'm confused. What happened?" Link replied.

The physician shook his bald head. "I don't know. Someone in Castle Town went in the Temple of Time and saw you two lying in the Sacred Chamber, unconscious. She called me and I had you two moved to the castle. I've been treating you've been here for about an hour. Both you and Zelda have been drained of magic power."

"Wait, but I didn't use any magic, and Zelda didn't use much. How are we out?"

"I don't know, but your mental tiredness is a direct result of running out of magic. Here, drink this," the physician handed Link a bottle of green liquid that Link knew to be medicine of magic. Link braced himself and gulped it down as quickly as he could. He grimaced as it entered his mouth; it tasted horribly bitter. As soon as Link swallowed the medicine he felt a little better.

"Best to get some sleep and let the medicine take its full effect. I'll have the princess take some as soon as she wakes up," the physician said. Link just nodded and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.

About an hour later Link woke up. Zelda was awake, too. "Are you okay?" Link asked.

"Yeah, I'm alright. You?"

"I'm fine, but what happened?"

"I don't know. Both Ganondorf and Vaati are sealed, or at least I thought they both were. Maybe they managed to trick me."

"No, right before I passed out, right after that monster exploded, I heard a voice say something about the monster failing and how it was going to try to free Vaati," Link said.

"What? We have to try to stop him! The Four Sword can't repel evil like the Master Sword can, so it is far more vulnerable to evil influence than the Master Sword. Come on!" Zelda tried to get up, but she collapsed back into her bed.

"Zelda, you're in no condition to even move, let alone fight whatever it is that's trying to free Vaati. All we can do is hope that whatever it is fails. By the way, why did the mark on the back of our hands glow like that? It saved my life," Link said, trying to change the subject so neither he nor Zelda stress out too much more.

"The marks on our hands mark us as bearers of the Triforce of Courage and the Triforce of Wisdom. I bare Wisdom, and you bare Courage. Ganondorf bares Power, and the three together form the Triforce, a magical relic so powerful that it can grant any wish of whoever touches it. It was left behind when the Goddesses left our world, and sealed away in the Sacred Realm to prevent anyone evil from getting it. But, a long time ago it was touched by an evil man, which split it into three pieces. Each piece went to whoever best represented it. Though no records remain, I think Ganondorf was the one who touched the Triforce and split it into three."

"How is that possible? That happened a really long time ago, how could Ganondorf have lived that long?" Link replied.

"The Triforce of Power gives him immortality, which is why we can't kill him," Zelda simply stated.

Link laid back in his bed, thinking about everything that happened and trying not to worry too much about what was to come.

Free! Vaati was finally free after all those long years! Morticae, a servant of anyone with power, had freed him. Morticae was the one who tried to free Ganondorf, due to Ganondorf having more power, but failed and came to free Vaati. Morticae was the master behind the monsters; as long as Morticae had power, he could create monsters. Morticae, however, had one major drawback. He had no power of his own. He had to either leech it off another being or be given it. As a result, the only ones who dared employ him were ones with so much power that it didn't matter to them if they gave up a little. Vaati and Ganondorf were able to regenerate lost power, Ganondorf due to the Triforce of Power and Vaati due to the Light Force, so they each gave large amounts of power to Morticae. After all these years, Morticae was running out of power. It took most of his remaining power to create the moblin that attacked Link and five shadow daemons, though one was destroyed by the Master Sword. Because Morticae had to use both Ganondorf's and Vaati's power, the moblin that attacked Link had traits of both Vaati's moblins and Ganondorf's moblins.

"Master, I need more power. Freeing you has drained the last of what I had left. And the boy, the Triforce of Courage within him counteracts my magic. I had to continually channel power into one of my shadow daemons in order for it to survive its encounter with the boy's Triforce piece," Morticae said.

"Well, you deserve a reward for getting me out. And I can't have you powerless, now, can I? Though I could easily create my own monsters," Vaati replied.

"But, master, with me you don't need to waste your time making monsters; it is a rather time-consuming activity. Instead, just spare a few seconds to give me some power and allow me to make our monsters for you," Morticae said.

"Very well, take some power, as both a reward for getting me out of that blasted sword," Vaati turned and glared at the Four Sword, still in its pedestal, "and as a bribe for you to quickly rebuild my army of monsters." Vaati allowed some of his power to flow into Morticae.

"Thank you, master. What is your plan now that you are free?" Morticae said.

"I will take over Hyrule. And I will destroy Link, the blasted _boy_ who sealed me away."

"If I may, master, you cannot defeat the boy alone. You could not before, you won't be able to now. If you would use your incredible power to free Ganondorf and worked with him, then you and he could defeat the boy together," Morticae replied.

"I am the Wind Mage, Vaati! I destroyed Hyrule Castle with only a fraction of my power! Although, the boy did get lucky and managed to beat me. Perhaps an alliance with the King of Evil would benefit me. Take me to the Master Sword, and I will free the Gerudo King."

"Master, you cannot touch the sword. My shadow daemon merely touched it and it was destroyed. I do not know the power of this blade, but it may be enough to destroy you," Morticae warned Vaati.

"I have heard tales of the legendary Master Sword. The Sword of Evil's Bane, no evil being can ever touch it. I know perfectly well that touching this would lead to even my destruction," Vaati admitted reluctantly. "But I should be able to open another way into the Sacred Realm, which is where Ganondorf is. Now, take me to the legendary sword."

Morticae took Vaati to the Temple of Time, to where the Master Sword slept. Morticae used the sneaked Vaati around the back to avoid rousing attention; just because seven years had passed doesn't mean that the people won't recognize him on sight.

Vaati stood before the glowing pedestal of the Master Sword, deep in thought. The sword seemed to glow brighter, as if reacting to his evil magic. Vaati built up a black ball of energy and blasted it at the pedestal. Nothing happened. Vaati frowned.

"I thought that by hitting the pedestal and not the actual sword itself I would be able to open a door to the Sacred Realm. I guess the swo-" Vaati was cut off by what sounded like shattering glass. He turned around and saw Ganondorf towering in the corner with an evil smile on his face.

"You're releasing me? Do you not know who I am?" Ganondorf asked, yellow eyes filled with malevolence.

"I know exactly who you are, and you surely know who I am," Vaati replied, puffing himself up.

"I have no idea who you are."

"What? You've never heard of me, Vaati? I possess the Light Force, I nearly took over all of Hyrule? I single-handedly destroyed Hyrule Castle!"

"Nope, never heard of you. Now, if you don't mind, I have better things to do than sit around here listening to you boast about yourself. I have a kingdom to overthrow and revenge to exact," Ganondorf said. He turned around to leave, but Vaati stopped him.

"Wait! Do you really believe you can take over this kingdom with Link alive? He beat you before, and he can beat you again. But, if you and I team up, we can defeat him, leaving no one to stand in out way. Partners?" Vaati stretched out his hand and offered it to Ganondorf. Thought about it for a minute and agreed to work together, though Vaati was unsure of his true motives.

"What about me? Who shall I serve?" Morticae asked.

"Me," Vaati and Ganondorf both replied. They glared at each other.

"Serve us both," Ganondorf eventually said.

"And what of the Four Sword and Master Sword?" Morticae asked.

"The Master Sword cannot be touched by any of us. Our best bet would be to leave a shadow daemon here to guard it in case Link comes to try and retrieve it. But the Four Sword we can touch. I say we take it. Keeps that blasted hero from using it to seal me away again," Vaati said.

"The Four Sword is a powerful weapon. That I have heard of," Ganondorf said, seeming to intentionally direct that last comment towards Vaati. Vaati got a bit irritated at this but said nothing. "We could use our power to corrupt the blade and create an opposite to the Master Sword. The Four Sword shall be the Sword of Evil's Boon by the time I'm done with it."

Vaati smiled at the thought of a weapon that no pure hearted soul could ever touch. After all, the best way to fight fire is with fire, right?

Author's Note:

Well, less changes, but that could be because I haven't asked anyone to edit this for me yet. Any volunteers feel free to tell me what you think I should include and/or omit. And, as always, review!


	3. Chapter 3

So, this is hopefully the last chapter of exposition. Unfortunately, there is still a bit more of exposition to get over with. Anyway, enough procrastinating, on with the story!

Chapter 3:

Link and Zelda both made a full recovery. They checked on the Four Sword and, to their dismay, found it to be missing. Vaati was also, obviously, freed. They quickly ran to see if Ganondorf had been freed since the shadow monster tried, and found another shadow monster standing guard over the Master Sword. They assumed this meant that Ganondorf and Vaati were both free. Zelda knew that the time for Link to be the hero was once again at hand, only this time she knew he would need more power.

"Link, I need to teach you about the Triforce of Courage. If you want to survive and defeat both Ganondorf and Vaati, then you'll need to know how to use it. But there are a few downsides to this knowledge. There are some abilities that the Triforce of Courage gives you that do not take affect unless you know what they are, and at least one is not necessarily a good ability. Will you accept this knowledge?"

Link thought for a minute and came to the realization that he really had no choice. He needed every ounce of power he could get if he was to defeat both Ganondorf and Vaati. "Yes, I will accept this knowledge."

"Very well. First of all, there are several known passive abilities that you must know before they take affect. The bearer of the Triforce of Courage cannot lie. The power of the Triforce of Courage blocks lies from those who know of this ability. Try to lie to me," Zelda said. Link tried to tell her that Ganondorf and Vaati were actually going to turn over a new leaf and sell ice cream to children, but couldn't. It actually caused Link a physical ache in the jaw to even try to do so.

"Can't do it, can you? There are loopholes to this one, kind of. Instead of flat out lying you could say that you want to say and then say the lie. That is truthful, because in most cases that is what you want to say.

"Another ability is a form of protection against magic. This doesn't work on Vaati, due to the Light Force; Ganondorf, due to the Triforce of Power; or me, due to the Triforce of Wisdom. This is an ability that you now have at all times, but this magical protection also works on spells of healing. Potions will still work, but spells won't, including Nayru's Love and Farore's Wind. The Triforce of Courage will make you faster and stronger than any Hylian without it, except for Vaati. Vaati has the Light Force, though. Ganondorf is not Hylian, so he will still be stronger than you. And I think the Triforce of Power gives him immeasurable strength, anyway."

"Wait, Vaati isn't a Hylian, either. He's a Minish. So, isn't he outside the limits anyway?" Link asked. As Link spoke, he felt power flow through his muscles, giving him strength and speed he never had before.

"Well, I guess you're right. Anyway, those are all the passive abilities about the Triforce of Courage that I know of that you must know for them to take affect. There are a couple ones that you don't need to know for them to take affect, and they are passive, also. One of them is a life-protection kind of defense mechanism. If you are in mortal peril, the Triforce of Courage will draw upon your magic and use it to protect you, hence the screaming shadow monster. The Triforce of Courage also grants you the ability to use any weapon with perfect skill, which is why you mastered all the weapons you found on your journeys so easily. I've heard rumors that there are stones scattered about the world that may present themselves to the bearer of one of the Triforce pieces that have knowledge of skills that Triforce grants its bearer. If you find one, it will teach you a new ability.

"There are also active skills, or skills you must activate to use. One of them is directly related to the Master Sword. Or, well, I guess it technically applies to any magical weapon, but the Master Sword is the big one. The power is the ability to shoot a small beam of energy from the tip of your sword. This skill only works if you are either at full health or have little health left.

"Another skill is the ability to detect and locate magical items and sources of magic. It works very similar to a compass. The mark on the back of your hand will glow when this skill is activated and the Triforce on your hand will point to the source of magic. Well, I guess the mark on the back of your hand will glow regardless of what skill you use, except for the passive ones. Though, the life-protection one does cause your mark to glow.

"Anyway, the last skill that I know of is the ability to seal deals. If you and someone else come to an agreement and make a deal, you can use the Triforce of Courage to seal it, preventing you from breaking your end of the deal and freeing you from your obligations if the other person breaks his or her end of the bargain. By doing this, you can also make deals that can't be done normally, like giving up strength for a day in exchange for protection or something," Zelda finished.

"So, all I need now is a sword. And I know where to get one," Link said.

Ganondorf and Vaati knew what they needed to do. By combining their power they were able to re-create the forging of the Master Sword with the Four Sword, but they used evil magic to create this wicked new weapon. The process took hours, but when finished, the result was worth it. They managed to create a weapon that was equal and opposite to the Master Sword. To test, Morticae was to suck power from several pure-hearted people Vaati had abducted and use all that good, benevolent power to create the cloak of darkness he normally surrounds himself in. Ganondorf merely held the sword near Morticae and it stripped away all the benevolent power, revealing Morticae's hideously twisted and deformed figure underneath. Morticae quickly used some evil power to wrap himself back up in his cloak of darkness, but the test had already been completed. Vaati and Ganondorf had a sword that could repel good, and its power was equivalent to that of the Master Sword.

"Now, what do we name this magnificent weapon?" Vaati asked. "What is an equal but opposite to a master?"

"Maybe not an equal and opposite to a master, but a usurper sounds appropriate. The Usurper Sword, the Sword of Evil's Boon," Ganondorf said. Vaati agreed and demanded that he wield the weapon. Ganondorf refused to yield the sword. They argued and very nearly began fighting, but Morticae stepped in at the last second with a compromise.

"Masters, why not take turns on a daily basis? Master Vaati could have one day, Master Ganondorf the next. And since this day is almost over, I could hold onto it until tomorrow, where one of you will take the magnificent sword," Morticae suggested.

"Agreed. And to prove that I'm the strongest I will allow Vaati to use the sword tomorrow, since I don't need it to be powerful," Ganondorf said. Vaati, infuriated, said nothing in reply. Vaati would show Ganondorf just who was the strongest in due time, but until then he would quietly take Ganondorf's insults.

Author's Note:

Yep, that should be the last of the background and exposition and whatnot. Next chapter will be more, well, tolerable, and hopefully the characters' individual personalities will be more prominent in the upcoming chapters. I realize that Ganondorf sounds really cocky and arrogant in that last line, but these statements are only meant for him to try to undermine Vaati, and therefore take control. Ganondorf knows exactly what he is doing, and he isn't being cocky. Vaati is, as shown in that last line. Those were meant to be Vaati's thoughts, I just didn't feel like using a thought bubble type structure (or whatever you'd call it). So, anyone care to guess what sword Link had in mind?


	4. Chapter 4

At long last! Something finally happens with action in it! Well, without further ado, I present to you chapter four. Sorry for interrupting what was about to be read, but I thought I should mention that this chapter includes some history behind the Master Sword, which will likely not fall in sync with what Skyward Sword will say. This is because I'm an American, and as a direct result must wait until November 20 to get my game. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Chapter 4:

Link had everything he needed. He had several magical items and a sword the town smith built him. Link knew perfectly well that he had no chance of beating that shadow monster that was guarding the Master Sword, so he was going out in search of a weapon that could handle it.

"Link, wait. Before you go, do you have any idea where you could get a weapon that could take care of the shadow monster?" Zelda asked.

"No, I have no clue. But if I want even the slightest shot at beating Vaati and Ganondorf, then I'm going to need the Master Sword," Link replied.

"Well, before you go, let me tell you a story about the Master Sword. 'Long ago, when Hyrule was just barely created, a dark, evil force fell upon the land. The people sent their mightiest warriors to combat the evil, but it wasn't enough. The evil still roamed the land, growing ever stronger. The people, desperate in their time of need, turned to the Triforce. Many tried to use it, but only one was able to enter the Sacred Realm. This man was far more courageous than any other, and when he touched it he received the Triforce of Courage. The great evil received the Triforce of Power' no, the evil wasn't Ganondorf 'and the princess of the time received the Triforce of Wisdom. The princess, with Wisdom, came up with a way to combat the evil. She and all the most powerful magicians and sages came together to create a weapon that could not only defeat this great evil, now even more powerful than before, but banish all evil forever. That weapon was the Master Sword.

"'The courageous man, the bearer of Courage, took the Master Sword in hand and went to combat the foe. But alas, it was not enough. The enemy was greatly weakened, so very nearly destroyed, but even the Master Sword didn't have enough power to completely destroy this great evil. The evil was, however, reduce to little more than a moblin. The people celebrated their supposed victory over the great evil. But the evil, thanks to the Triforce of Power, grew stronger. It regained all its power and then remained in hiding to build even more, to grow even stronger. Eventually it became so powerful it was able to withstand the Master Sword and defeat the bearer of Courage.

"However, right as the great evil was about to end the bearer's life, his Triforce of Courage reacted and saved his life. The great evil was unable to kill him without first removing the Triforce of Courage, which would require time. The great evil did not have enough time. It left the hero weak and unable to move. The forgers of the Master Sword took the blade and made it more powerful, creating the Sword of Evil's Bane. It became so powerful that no evil being could ever touch it. The crafters, just to be safe, also created a set of armor to repel evil, just as the Master Sword does. The items were known as the Master Shield, the Master Helm, the Master Breastplate, and the Master Gauntlets. They also created a bow that had the power to separate evil from any physical object, known as the Bow of Light. The bearer of Courage prepared himself for the battle against the great evil. The great evil could not lay a finger on the bearer of Courage. The bearer used the Master Sword to weaken the great evil and ultimately ended the great evil's life with it. In the process the bearer separated the great evil from its body with the Bow of Light, exposing both the Triforce of Power and the great evil's soul. The bearer took the Master Sword and thrust it into the soul of the great evil, ending its life. The hero used the Triforce of Power, along with his own Triforce of Courage and the princess's Triforce of Wisdom, to return the land of Hyrule to the way it was before. He then used the Master Sword to seal the Triforce in the Sacred Realm and scattered the other five items throughout the land of Hyrule, only to be used again when needed.' So, I think what you need are these five items. If you can get all those items, then you can get past the shadow monster and beat Vaati and Ganondorf. With the Triforce of Courage you should be able to find them," Zelda said. Link, amazed that she could talk so much at once without needing to stop to breathe, just nodded his head.

After a minute, Link was able to get over his initial shock at Zelda's long-windedness and ask "Where are the five items?"

Zelda replied "I don't know. I only know of one: the Master Gauntlets. They are hidden deep in the well of Kakariko, which is why Impa was able to seal Bongo-Bongo down there. And I think you may need the Master Sword to get them, but your Triforce of Courage should be good enough to open the seal. Once you get the Gauntlets come back here."

Link nodded and departed immediately. He called Epona and rode off to Kakariko. After about an hour of riding Link came to the stairs leading into Kakariko. He got off Epona and ran up the stairs. When he entered the village he saw it burning. Link ran up, ready to try and put out the fires, when Vaati teleported in front of him. "Well, if it isn't the Hero who sealed me away in that cursed blade. Well, now I'm free. Do you like what I've done with the place? I never did care for this village."

"You! Vaati, what have you done! Why are you here?"

"Why, I'm only here to test out a new weapon. And the people were so cooperative once I burned their precious village. Soon, there won't be anything left. But don't worry, you'll be too dead to worry about it!" Link braced himself for an intense fight when a creature cloaked in darkness walked up behind Vaati.

"Master Vaati! We don't have time to deal with the Hero. We need to get to the top of Death Mountain and see if Master Ganondorf has finished his task at the Goron's city," it said.

"Very well, Morticae. Hero, we'll meet again," Vaati said. Vaati and the darkness cloaked figure, apparently named Morticae, teleported away. Link quickly pulled out his Ice Rod and set to putting out the fires. After a few hours Link managed to extinguish the last of the fires and made sure all the people were okay. He told a few of them what happened. The villagers agreed to send a group of strong, able bodied men up to Death Mountain to see how the Gorons were. Link, though he wanted to go, stayed back because he needed the Master Gauntlets.

"Could anyone drain the well for me? I need something from the bottom of it," Link asked.

"You'd have to go up into the windmill get it to spin faster. Though I doubt the crazy old guy in there will like it," a villager replied.

"He's still in there? Oh, well. I need the water out of the well. He'll live," Link replied. Link ran inside the windmill and was greeted by the Song of Storms being played by the same guy who taught it to him all those years ago. Link quickly hid behind the central pillar and played the Song of Storms. The windmill span faster and faster. Link quickly ran out as the old man started yelling. Link looked at the well and saw the water drain. He quickly jumped down the well and began looking for clues to where the Gauntlets may have been hidden.

Author's Note:

Not as much action as desired, and no look at what Vaati and Ganondorf are doing, other than burning down Kakariko. But, it's still better than the previous boring exposition chapters. Feel free to review if you want to.


	5. Chapter 5

This chapter will be strictly about Ganondorf and Vaati and a character that most of you should be able to quickly (or slowly) recognize. Here's a hint: she isn't from the Legend of Zelda, she is kind of an OC, but she should still seem very familiar to most of you.

Chapter 5:

Ganondorf and Vaati were at the Goron's City, wrecking havoc. Morticae was creating moblins and dark nuts by the hundreds. They were after the Fire Temple, to prevent Link from enlisting the Sage of Fire's help. "Ganondorf, since I have the Usurper Sword, why don't you just leave this to me. Surely you've sensed a pitiful resistance army marching through Hyrule Field right now, right?" Vaati taunted.

Ganondorf, who as a matter of fact did sense the army, replied "Of course I did! And I'm not a coward afraid of a few soldiers, but since you insist on someone taking care of them, I'll finish off the big, bad soldiers while you stay here and watch the Gorons tremble with fear. Meet me down there when you've finished." Ganondorf teleported away, leaving Vaati with a snarl of rage on his face.

Ganondorf arrived at the base of the stairs leading to Kakariko, ready to destroy the pitiful excuse of an army that was currently marching out to greet him. The force sent really was pathetic; it consisted of twenty men with rusty swords and rotting spears led by a small, unarmed girl who looked to be about twenty years old. Ganondorf rolled his eyes and prepared for a quick annihilation. The soldiers saw him, turned pale, and slowed down dramatically. Excellent, Ganondorf thought, they know who I am. Maybe this way I won't need to use my powers. As if to disprove Ganondorf, the girl yelled and the men charged. Ganondorf prepared a ball of energy and threw it at the first three soldiers. It hit them dead on, blasting them away. They got up and rejoined the rush. Ganondorf frowned, he thought that his energy ball should have been more than enough to kill those soldiers. He noticed the girl; she was chanting with her arms held up. That must have been it, Ganondorf thought. She was protecting her soldiers. He had to hand it to her, she was strong if she could stop his energy ball from killing those men.

Ganondorf quickly built up more energy and released it in tiny streams of raw power. The streams each hit a soldiers right in the head, killing several instantly. There were still twelve soldiers left, however. They were busing tripping over their dead companions, but they were still coming at Ganondorf. Ganondorf quickly threw a blast of darkness at the group, weakening them and blinding them. He then snapped his fingers and caused the darkness to compress and explode in a blast of raw, destructive power. Of the twelve soldiers, only one survived. Ganondorf walked up to the last soldier, built up some dark power in his fist, and punched the last soldier in the face, killing him instantly.

The girl walked up to Ganondorf and yelled "My name is Marisoo and I was put in charge of those men to aid the Gorons and to kill you!"

Ganondorf chuckled and said "You can't kill me. I have the Triforce of Power, I am immortal."

"Oh yeah! Well, I'm invincible! I'll destroy you!" Marisoo replied. Ganondorf replied by throwing a ball of energy at Marisoo. It almost hit her, then dissipated into oblivion. Ganondorf tried a blast of darkness, only to find it dissipated as soon as it got near her.

"See what I mean by invincible? I cannot be hurt by anything, and I can beat anyone without a single weapon," Marisoo replied. Marisoo quickly, so quickly that Ganondorf couldn't even see her move, ran up to Ganondorf and delivered a sharp uppercut to his jaw. Ganondorf recoiled back and responded by kicking out at Marisoo. Marisoo jumped over Ganondorf's foot and kicked Ganondorf in the chest. The force of the blow sent him flying back several feet. Ganondorf began building power, allowing it to spread throughout his entire body. He started to change; his body grew larger, his arms longer and more muscular, his feet and legs grew, and his head grew large tusks and a pig-like snout. He roared; he was Ganon! He charged at Marisoo at full force and hit her at full force. She was sent flying back several feet. She quickly got to her feet, but Ganon was already gone. Marisoo looked around, but Ganon was nowhere to be seen. She then had a terrible thought and looked straight up. Ganon quickly came through a portal and hit her with full force head on while she was looking up. Marisoo was thrown back another several feet.

Marisoo got up and grabbed Ganon's tusks. She threw Ganon to the side and delivered a heavy kick to his face. Ganon was thrown back into the nearby river. Marisoo leaped on Ganon and punched him in the gut. She grabbed him and threw him on the bank. She threw a ball of pure energy at Ganon. The blast caused him to changed back into Ganondorf. Marisoo picked Ganondorf up with one hand, curled the other into a fist, and said "Any last words, monster?"

Ganondorf merely smiled and said "Look behind you."

Marisoo turned around just in time to see Vaati thrust the Usurper Sword into her chest. Marisoo laughed and said "Your puny weapon can't hurt me, I'm invin-" Marisoo gasped in pain as Vaati twisted the sword. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fell to the ground, dead.

"Well, the great Ganondorf bested by a little girl? How amusing," Vaati taunted.

"Shut it, Vaati. That girl was a Blinx."

"What subclass?" Vaati replied, suddenly serious.

"Invincibility. But luckily she's the last of her kind in Hyrule. All other Blinx are either in another country, realm, or dead. All the invincible Blinx are now dead, thanks to the Usurper Sword. It's good to know that this sword has enough power to kill a Blinx without any evil in their heart," Ganondorf said.

Morticae quickly drew the sword out of the girl's body and presented it to Vaati. Vaati took it and he and Ganondorf left. Morticae lingered for a bit and took the girl's remaining power. It was actually quite a lot, which was good. With what Morticae had planned he would need all the power he could get.

Author's Note:

For those who didn't catch the familiarity, the kind of OC character was Marisoo, which sounds a lot like Mary Sue. The Usurper Sword has enough power to kill a Mary Sue, which has never been done before.


	6. Chapter 6

This chapter is a dungeon chapter, which will be strictly about Link's adventure in the dungeon, nothing more. The dungeon chapters will always include the boss, and will probably be the most action-packed chapters in this story. It's going to be very short (compared to other dungeon chapters, but still my longest chapter yet), but hey, the first dungeon is always short, right? Oh, and I've decided that anything that needs to speak Ancient Hylian can do it in what we call Latin, because Latin is the language of champions (no logic to back that statement up). Want to understand the Latin and know what the translations are? Google translate (WARNING: Translations will require some form of creative licensing to accurately interpret from Google Translate and its not-so-accurate reverse translation process).

Chapter 6:

Link immediately saw a door that he didn't remember being there last time he was there. Link wondered how he could have possibly missed such a huge, ornate door with such creepy skulls decorating before, but dismissed it when he saw what seemed to be gauntlets engraved on the door. Link had absolutely no idea how he was supposed to go about opening this door; it was very well sealed with no keyholes. The lack of keyholes disappointed Link; he had learned how to pick locks so he could stop having to always find those stupid little keys. Link touched the door with his left hand, trying to feel for some kind of hidden door switch or something, when the Triforce of Courage reacted. Link almost jumped out of shock; the glowing had surprised him. The door suddenly said (since when could doors talk?) "Qui aperto in Triforce de Fortitude, percutiam tua dominatur manum Sacra ostium aperire et petere tuum praemium."

"What?" Link replied, confused.

The door seemed to sigh and said (still freaky) "Just hit me with your Triforce hand."

Link, unsure of how hard to hit, falcon-punched the door, bruising his hand in the process. The door glowed and faded to nothing, revealing an opening that Link could enter through. He walked into a circular room with two doors in front of him. Neither was chained. A shadow appeared in front of Link, startling him and causing him to draw his sword. The shadow took on the form of an old, pale man. The man seemed to be make of smoke and light. He opened his mouth and said "O Virum te in locum quem elegerit porta. Ostium unum ad pugna expertus, mens aliud experimentum. Diligenter eligere, postquam nihil inde eligitur."

"Again, what?" Link asked.

The shade sighed and said "You do not speak the ancient tongue, do you?"

"The what? No, I guess not," Link replied.

"One room is combat, the other has a puzzle for you to solve. I guess I should tell you that there are three rooms like this, one maze, and then the boss of the dungeon. Only if you are able to make it past all of these rooms and defeat the guardian shall you earn the right to bear the Master Gauntlets. Good luck, Hero," the man said. He faded into nothingness, leaving Link with a "what just happened?" feeling.

Link, after getting over his initial shock, went to the door on the right. He really didn't care whether he got a puzzle or a fight; he'd dealt with both fairly easily in the past. Link opened the door and entered an empty room. Right when he was a few feet in the room the door behind him barred shut. Link, figuring that the lack of stuff meant he was in a combat room, drew his sword and wooden deku shield. His left hand throbbed from the bruise he inflicted upon himself earlier, which was turning into a lovely shade of deep purple. Two moblins and four bokoblins appeared in a puff of smoke. Link flinched, still struggling to get used to the way monsters materialized. The moblins looked nothing like anything he had ever seen before. They bore massive swords and seemed to be little more than enormous, bipedal pigs with said giant swords. The bokoblins were miniature versions of these moblins. The bokoblins all rushed at him at once. Link quickly executed a spin attack, knocking all of the bokoblins on the ground. He jumped and thrust his sword into one bokoblin's heart. It died, disintegrating into purple dust. Link quickly got back up and looked at his other foes. The moblins, oddly enough, seemed content to merely watch as Link slayed their allies. The other three bokoblins stood up and approached him with more caution. This puzzled Link; since when could bokoblins think? Link ignored this thought and focused on the bokoblins. Two stood back and let one to approach Link. The one that was approaching Link walked slowly, sword raised in a blocking position. Link was again surprised by the intelligence and skill of the bokoblins. Its stance was sturdy and fairly professional. Link quickly filed this bit of information away for later, when he wasn't fighting. The bokoblin quickly jabbed at Link, forcing him to evade by back flipping away. The bokoblin took advantage of the temporary opening left by Link having to recover from his back flip by swinging its massive sword at Link. The sword hit Link in the chest, leaving a long gash. Link ignored the pain; he had grown accustomed to such injuries on his many journeys. The bokoblin staggered from the swing of its massive blade, trying to regain control over the sword. Link took advantage of the brief opening and, faster than the eye could see, and certainly faster than he was ever able to move before, he stabbed the bokoblin in the throat, instantly killing it. The bokoblin, like the one before it, exploded into purple dust. The last two bokoblins hesitantly watched Link; the moblins continued to do nothing. Link, using his new found speed, stabbed one of the bokoblins through the stomach before either had time to react. The bokoblins exploded into purple dust. The last bokoblin howled and ran away, eventually tripping and impaling itself on its own sword.

Link turned to the moblins. One moblin lifted its sword and approached Link. Link swung his sword with all his new strength at the moblin. It lifted its sword to block the attack, only to find its sword cut in two. The moblin threw away its now useless sword and proceeded to punch Link. Link rolled his eyes and stabbed the moblin's hand. The moblin howled in pain and left itself vulnerable to attack. Link cut the moblin's head off its shoulders, killing it. The moblin exploded into purple dust, leaving one moblin left. The last moblin turned its back on Link, walked to a wall, stuck its sword in a crack on the wall, and walked back to Link. It muttered in a very guttural voice, "You do same. We sumo fight." Link instantly understood. He and the moblin were going to sumo wrestle until one shoved the other through one of the swords. Link did as the moblin said and prepared himself for a sumo match. Both readied themselves for the match, each one stomped their feet, and began. Link, before the moblin had a chance to react, lunged at it and shoved it back several feet. The moblin looked as shocked as an ugly giant bipedal pig could possibly look. Link lunged at it again, shoving it into a wall. Link mentally berated himself for not bothering to aim. He leapt back a few feet and allowed the moblin to come at him again. The moblin lunged at Link. He tried to sidestep it, but was a few seconds too slow. The moblin hit Link on the right side of his body, his weaker one. Link was thrown off balance, giving the moblin a chance to shoved Link dangerously close to his sword. Link waited for the moblin to lunge again. It did, and Link successfully sidestepped the lunge that time. The moblin realized too late what was about to happen as it impaled itself on Link's sword. The moblin turned to purple dust. Link pulled his sword out of the wall and walked to the center of the room.

A chest appeared in a flash of light. Link, having witnessed this multiple times, was unsurprised. He opened the chest and found a dungeon map. The layout of the dungeon was very simple, and as far as Link could tell the only advantage of the map was that it showed how to get through the maze and which rooms were combat and which were puzzle. Link opted on taking a puzzle room next and went through the door that lead into what the map labeled as a puzzle room.

Link walked in and the door closed behind him, covering itself in bars in the process. He looked around the room. It was almost identical to the last room, except it had a crystal that Link recognized as an activation crystal. Link needed something to hit the crystal, but it was mounted on the ceiling, way beyond his reach. Link had no ranged weapons on him, which he realized was pretty stupid, so he looked around to see if he could find anything. After looking around in the completely empty room he realized why the puzzle had such a simple solution; there was absolutely nothing in the room to hit the crystal with. Link thought for a few minutes, then eventually decided that he would have to sacrifice something of his to throw at the crystal, since the crystals usually destroyed whatever hit them. Link had five green rupees, so he figured he'd try throwing one of those. After all, the green ones were almost worthless. Link chucked the rupee with all his strength at the crystal. Link's aim, after all the bows and slingshots he'd shot, was perfect. He hit the crystal dead on, turning it dark gray. The door didn't open, but a ticking noise could be heard as a pillar rose out of the ground, with four other crystals on it. Link realized that he needed to hit all of these crystals in the time limit, though he didn't know how long his limit would be. He threw his last four rupees quickly at the crystals, hoping his aim would prove true. Link nearly missed the last one, but luckily it hit just enough to count. The doors opposite Link opened. Link, completely out of anything to throw, opted on combat and proceeded to take the door that the map said led to the combat room.

As Link entered what he knew to be the last room before the maze, he encountered some resistance. When Link first entered the door, he saw strange purple crystals around the room and a dark nut opposite him. The door shut and sealed itself, as before, but as Link slowly approached the dark nut the purple crystals glowed and shot bolts of purple lightning at him. When they hit him, Link felt an enormous, unbearable pain throughout his entire body. He screamed. After a few minutes, right before Link was about to pass out from shear pain, the lightning stopped. Link was exhausted, and he was certain that the dark nut would kill him. The dark nut walked up to him. Link noticed that it had no sword, but was too drained to think why. The dark nut picked him up. Link was certain he was going to die. Link didn't realize that his Triforce piece was reacting, and had been since he was shot by that purple lightning. His Triforce piece glowed even brighter, causing the dark nut to scream in pain. The dark nut died in an explosion of purple dust, causing Link to fall to the ground, still unable to move. Had Link had even an ounce of strength left in him he would have been terrified at the thought of he being about to die, but as he was he just lay there, waiting for his body to eventually give up and die. The crystals glowed again. Link knew he should be worried but was too tired to do so. The crystals shot purple lightning at Link, but rather than killing him the lightning was restoring his former health. When Link was fully healed the lightning stopped. Link felt immensely relieved and thrilled that he was still alive.

Link saw shadows forming into a solid entity. He drew his sword, ready to fight. The shadows formed into the shade from earlier. The shade opened its mouth and said "Well done, Hero. This last room was designed to ensure that you were indeed the bearer of the Triforce of Courage. The crystals are designed to drain almost every ounce of life from anyone who enters this room and only restores it if the dark nut was defeated. You Triforce piece saved your life, and proved that you are the Hero destined to wield the Master Gauntlets. Now, proceed into the final room and prove you courage once again."

The shade faded away. The one door in the room opened and Link went through it. In the next room was the maze. Link knew that since he was given a map of the maze something was going to make this difficult. He was right. Inside was a thick fog that clouded his mind and filled it with fear. Link knew what fear was and knew how to deal with it, but had it been anyone else, or even Link without his Triforce piece, the fear would have destroyed the person. Even Link struggled to control his fear, jumping at nothing on multiple occasions. But Link was able to make it through the maze. When Link got out of the dark fog he realized how ridiculous and irrational his fear had been. All that was in the maze other than the dark fog were the plain, stone walls of the maze. Link saw an enormous door, and almost thought that he would have to go back into the maze to get the big key, but he then realized that the door had no lock. It was huge and very ornate, decorated with engravings of the Triforce and many other strange markings, but it was unlocked. Link cautiously opened the door.

When Link entered the large, empty room he saw a large, plain, wooden mask mounted on the wall. The giant door sealed itself behind him and Link saw another door across the room, sealed by magic. The mask shook itself to life and formed the shape of a giant dark nut. This dark nut had a massive, black sword; massive, heavy looking black armor; and a massive, rectangular black shield. The dark nut experimentally took a few swings of its sword, which was easily twice as long as Link, and approached Link. Link quickly rolled under its legs and saw what looked to be a large, red hole in its back. Link figured that that was its weak spot, but it was too high for him to reach. The dark nut turned itself around and swung its sword at Link. Link quickly rolled to the side, narrowly avoided being sliced in half. The dark nut's sword got stuck in the ground, forcing it to try to pull its sword out. While the dark nut was tugging on the sword, Link ran up to its legs and, seeing a few gaps in the armor, executed a spin attack. The dark nut fell forward, sword still in the ground, and lay there, stunned. Link climbed on its back and began slashing and stabbing the red hole like there was no tomorrow. After about ten slashes and sixteen stabs, the dark nut stood up, knocking Link to the ground, and ripped its sword from the ground. Link and the dark nut repeated the cycle until eventually the dark nut screamed in pain and exploded into purple dust, leaving behind a heart-shaped container that Link knew would increase his tolerance for pain and the amount of injuries he could take. Link grabbed the heart container, felt its power surge through him, and looked at the sealed door he saw earlier. It was now open.

Link ran through the door into a large room with a pedestal in it. On the pedestal Link saw a pair of majestic looking gauntlets that were the same color as the blade of the Master Sword with some threads of blue, like the handle of the Master Sword, on them. Link walked up and grabbed the gauntlets, taking off his gloves to put them on. He figured he'd leave the gloves there; after all, he had no more use for them. The gauntlets fit perfectly and, rather than feeling cold or metallic, they felt just like his old gloves. The only difference was that Link could feel the power flowing through those gauntlets, though not to as great an extent as with the Master Sword. Link turned to leave when shadows once again gathered themselves together. Link figured that it was probably just the shade again, so he remained calm. When the shadows formed Link saw a young, strong looking man with golden eyes and white hair. The man was taller than Link by about an inch and was just as pale as the other shade Link had dealt with. The man opened his mouth and spoke "Salutem, O Heros."

Link sighed and said "Look, I'm sorry, but I don't speak this old language. As far as I'm away, no one speaks it except you shade people. Please, speak the common tongue."

The man seemed to smile and replied "If you do not speak the sacred language of the ancients, then perhaps you should learn it. You are wrong when you say no one else speaks it. A young woman by the name of Veronica knows this ancient language, and I foresee that she will be a major asset to your quest. Find her."

"Wait, how young are we talking about here? Do you mean young like me or young like a small child?" Link replied.

"Excellent, you do not wish to put children in danger. This is a noble quality to have, O Hero," the shade replied. Link wasn't thinking about a child's safety but rather the child being a problem. Though, Link really didn't want any children to get hurt, either.

The shade continued "The girl is about seventeen, old enough to look out for herself. Other than her ability to speak Ancient Hylian, she is also a master of teleportation, though she sometimes loses control of her powers. She is a trained warrior, though she prefers to use a knife and sneak attack her enemies. However, she is no fighter and will more often than not flee from a battle if she can. She will be a necessity on your quest; find her. Before returning to the Princess and the Master Sword. She will be found in Kakariko, along with another who you will need on your quest. He is an eighteen year old man by the name of Norman. He has incredible telekinetic powers along with other traits and abilities you will need on you quest. Find him as well. Both he and the girl are in Kakariko. Find them."

The shade, after finishing his monologue, faded away, leaving Link a bit flustered and somewhat confused. Link decided that if shades from the past in a room that held an ancient artifact used by an ancient hero were telling him to do something, he'd better go and do it. Link turned around and left the dungeon, back to Kakariko, where he would evidently find Veronica and Norman.

Author's Note:

Well, what did you guys think of the first dungeon chapter?


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7:

Zelda was worried. One of those two were bad enough, but both? She had no idea how to stop both of them. And to make matters worse, one of them had the Four Sword! Zelda sent out a battalion of warriors, led by the only remaining invincible Blinx, but she felt that somehow Ganondorf or Vaati would be able to beat her battalion. There was also the manner of the other evil that tried to free Ganondorf and successfully freed Vaati. Link said that he heard a voice after she passed out, but Zelda knew nothing about this new villain. Zelda, holding the Triforce of Wisdom, managed to figure out that Ganondorf and Vaati were probably working together. Zelda allowed her thoughts to drift for a moment, thinking about Ganondorf and Vaati arguing over who was the most powerful and who should be in charge. Zelda and Link both knew that Ganondorf held more power than Vaati, mainly due to the Triforce of Power. Even a third of the great Triforce held more power than all of the Light Force, which Vaati possessed.

Zelda continued to think and eventually came to the conclusion that she should try and use her piece of the Triforce to help Link on his quest. She would travel to the land of the Sheikah in the guise of Sheik and enlist their help. She would learn their ways of magic and hopefully learn more about her piece of the Triforce. The Sheikah were full of legends and stories, certainly some of them told of the power of the Triforce of Wisdom. All Zelda knew about her Triforce piece was that it amplified her magic to an almost ridiculous degree, though not quite as much as Ganondorf's, and gave her high levels of intelligence. She knew little more of it. She knew more about Link's and even Ganondorf's pieces than she knew about her own. It was decided, she would travel to the hidden village of the Sheikah and learn their mysterious ways.

Author's Note:

Sorry for such a short chapter, but this should explain some of Zelda's later actions (and give me fillers to use if I'm ever suffering a Link block).


	8. Chapter 8

I had what I thought was a pretty good idea, so this chapter is my idea and about our wonderful villains.

Chapter 8:

"Masters," Morticae said, humbly. Morticae, Ganondorf, and Vaati were in an old, abandoned Gerudo fortress. The walls were damaged, but the structure itself was sound. It was enough to hide in. The outside looked like old, abandoned ruins in the middle of a bleak desert. The inside looked no better. There were debilitated walls, and nothing more.

"What?" Ganondorf and Vaati replied, both glaring at each other in turn.

"I have been thinking. Both of you are excellent sword wielders, but neither of you has Link's raw swordsmanship. In a single duel without any magical aid, Link could beat you both. And despite that both of you have superior magic to him, he has beaten you both before. Perhaps you should allow me to create a champion to fight for you; one who possesses Link's skill in combat," Morticae said.

"What the heck are you talking about?" Vaati asked.

"You think we should call in Dark Link? Well, maybe not Dark Link necessarily, but someone like Dark Link," Ganondorf said, more to himself than anyone else.

"No, Master, not Dark Link, but a different champion. One that I create with both your magics, as opposed to finding a naturally occurring magical influx. Dark Link has no loyalty to either of you; he is the magical copy of Link. Equal and opposite in every way," Morticae quickly replied. The thought of another Master was more than Morticae could bare. He could play servant to Ganondorf, and even to Vaati, but to Dark Link? He would not. Morticae needed all the power he could for his ultimate plan, and calling in Dark Link would get him no power at all.

"Morticae, you just said something genius. The Bearer of Courage, the Hero of Time, the Chosen Hero of the Master Sword needs to be countered by his equal and opposite, not his superiors. We will enlist the help of Dark Link, allow him to use the Usurper Sword, and he will defeat Link and bring him to us, broken, weak, begging for death! And we will so graciously grant him his one final wish; to destroy him, to free him from his endless suffering!" Vaati ranted. Morticae didn't bother trying to argue any longer; he knew it would be pointless. Vaati was feeling ruthless, and in the past Vaati was not above inflicting pain to chose who served him.

Morticae instead said "Very well, lend me some more of your power and I will retrieve Dark Link."

Ganondorf quickly put down the idea of Morticae getting Dark Link. "After all," Ganondorf said, "if Dark Link is to be our ally, shouldn't he be graced with the presence of his equals?"

"Or at least those who will pretend to be his equals?" Vaati added.

Morticae, though angry, merely agreed. Ganondorf and Vaati teleported out of the hideout, leaving Morticae alone. Morticae could feel the thrum of power in the ruins somewhere, he just never had an opportunity to look for it. Oh, well, he thought. I may as well try to find it.

Morticae followed the scent of the power down an unimpressive set of crumble stairs to a vault. The vault had a large, circular handle, similar to the kind commonly found on a vault door. The handle was mounted on what was supposedly an iron door, but the years of sand and wind had not been kind to it. The door was essentially a smooth (or as smooth as possible) hunk of rust. Morticae allowed some of his shadow to seep into the lock, twisting and turning the inner mechanism. It only required a little power; with what Morticae could feel there would be enough power to last him years. The vault door opened, revealing a large, almost empty room. The room was absolutely ordinary; there was nothing in it at all except a large crystal mounted on a pedestal with a smaller crystal in a small notch of the pedestal. The large crystal was roughly the size of a small dog and was a dark blue color. It shimmered with power, and was cut in a perfect sphere. The smaller jewel was cut in a pyramid and a light red color. Morticae knew what these jewels were; the large one was the legendary Jewel of Armastan while the small one was the Jewel of Marsterin. The Jewel of Armastan supposedly houses immense amounts of power. The Jewel was also rumored to be able to regenerate power over a period of time, similar to Ganondorf and Vaati. The Jewel of Marsterin was said to be able to take smaller amounts of power and amplify them tenfold. Morticae greedily sucked out as much power as he dared out of the Jewel of Armastan and grabbed the Jewel of Marsterin and quickly hid it on his person.

When Morticae returned to the main room, Ganondorf, Vaati, and Dark Link were there. Dark Link had pale, almost ghostly skin. His hair was dark, as were his clothes, but his eyes were an eery red that glowed with an unholy evil. "Morticae, meet your third Master, Dark Link," Vaati said. Dark Link merely smirked.

Morticae was infuriated. A third master!? Morticae had enough trouble serving two masters, three was borderline impossible! And he, Morticae, was far greater than the Hero's shadow! He was once a great and feared villain, though his time had passed. Still, Morticae was far superior to this shadow. However, rather than voice his objections, Morticae merely bowed to Dark Link.

"So, I understand there's a sword here for me?" Dark Link said. Oh, such insolence! Morticae thought, but he again said nothing.

"Yes, here it is, Master." Morticae presented Dark Link with the Usurper Sword. Dark Link took it, swung it experimentally, and commented on how natural it felt to wield.

"This thing ought to help me vanquish the Hero. Yeah, I suppose I'll stick around and help you out," Dark Link said.

"Very well, then. You are to do nothing without consulting us-" Vaati started.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'll do nothing without insulting, oh, I mean consulting you two first. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to go use this thing," Dark Link said, as he left the room. Vaati tried, unsuccessfully, to not allow his rage to show while Ganondorf tried, also unsuccessfully, not to laugh at Vaati's anger.

"I think we may have made a mistake in aligning ourselves with him," Vaati said.

Author's Note:

Still pretty short, but some new stuff has been added. What do you guys think so far about the villains? Have I used too many or is this a great idea?


	9. Chapter 9

Veronica's clothes in this chapter aren't traditional Hylian clothes, so in parentheses after the description I wrote what the clothes are most like in our modern society. Please note that they are not exactly like this, only similar.

Chapter 9:

Link stepped onto the glowing circle that appeared where the shade stood moments before. A blue light wrapped itself around him, teleporting him right outside the well. Link looked around. Most of the village had been repaired and returned to its original state. Link needed to find the girl, Veronica, and the boy, Norman. Link, unfortunately, had absolutely no idea how he was to go about finding them. He would have asked, but his fame from defeating Vaati and Ganondorf usually prevented him from getting coherent words other than "You're the Hero!" and "Can you sign my pants?" from the average citizen. Link had no idea why the pants specifically had to be signed instead of a piece of parchment or a shirt or even a shield, but it was always pants he was asked to sign.

Link figured the best place to look for people would be the bar. Malon opened a bar in Kakariko to bring in more business, since all she did at the farm was take care of horses. Since Talon sold the horses, Malon was left with nothing to do, so she figured she would find some way to help her father. Malon and Talon were also some of the only people Link could talk to without sending them into a state of idol-shock.

The bar was only three feet from the well, so Link had absolutely no difficulty finding it. The bar was a fairly simple building made of wood with a thatched roof. The only distinguishing feature on the bar was the large sign that had a picture of a cow on it and said "We sell milk, NOT alcohol!" That was another reason Link chose Malon's bar; there were never any drunken bar fights.

Link stepped inside the bar to be greeted by a stuffing atmosphere despite the cool day and lack of people in the bar. The fireplace was lit, the tables were all empty, and the only person Link could see in the bar was Malon. Malon wore a white apron over her red blouse and was cleaning a glass with a blue rag. Malon looked up, her red hair shaking as she did so. She blinked and rubbed her blue eyes to make sure she wasn't imagining things. Link wasn't sure why she seemed surprised to see him, granted he hadn't paid her a visit in almost three years, but still.

Malon eventually spoke and said "So, you wait three years before you come to visit and you don't even say hello and order some milk?" She allowed a faint smile to show on her face.

Link grinned and replied "Yeah, well. I've been busy. I'm a Hero, and Heroes help people, even when they're stupid." Link was thinking back to a crazy guy who wore green tights and thought that Link was a fairy. Link shuddered and tried not to think of that freak.

"Well, that still doesn't explain the no hello or the lack of ordering any milk," Malon said.

"Malon, you know perfectly well that I never have very much money. As for the hello, I wasn't sure what to say. 'Hi, sorry I haven't paid you a visit in three years, please don't be mad'?"

"Well, that would have been a start. But I'm guessing that you're here for reasons other than a friendly visit."

"What makes you say that?" Link asked.

"The village almost burned to the ground a few hours ago. Vaati and Ganondorf were the ones shooting the flames at the houses. Call it intuition." Malon retorted.

"Ha ha, very funny. Yeah, I need to find a girl named Veronica and a boy named Norman. Do you know where I could find them?"

"Norman's a regular customer, but Veronica's been gone for the past two years. I doubt she's in Kakariko," Malon replied.

"No, I definitely know that she's in Kakariko."

"How can you possibly know that?" Malon had a very confused expression on her face.

"A shade from the past told me in a secret dungeon inside of the well," Link said. If a person could have an expression of confusion, disturbance, and surprise all at the same time, Malon did after Link replied.

"Um, well, okay... Veronica's house is at the top of the village, by the giant windmill. Norman should be helping the villagers finish the repairs, and after they're done he'll likely come here."

Link thanked Malon for her help and left the bar. The town was still fairly inactive, likely due to the majority of the men heading up Death Mountain to see if they could help the Gorons. Link ran up the long stairs the led to the windmill. The windmill was huge, Link easily found that. Link had a notably harder time finding the house by the windmill. When Link finally stumbled across it, he realized why he had never noticed it before; the house seemed to be a part of the windmill. The wooden walls were almost identical to those of the windmill. The roof just blended into the windmill, effectively merging the house to the windmill. Link knocked on the door.

The door was almost immediately opened by a man dressed in an all black robe. He was tall, as far as Link could tell, and he wore a black veil over his face, completely obscuring it. Link was rather frightened by his appearance. "Uh, I'm Link and I'm looking for a girl named Veronica. Do you know where she is?"

The man nodded and disappeared in the blink of an eye. He returned a few moments later holding a girl by the arm. The sudden disappearance and appearance of the man startled Link to the point where he jumped when the man returned, despite, or perhaps due to, the lack of sound or light. The girl had long, dark curly hair, green eyes, and was very pretty. She wore a black shirt with the neck shaped like a V (V-neck) and strange blue pants (jeans). She looked both surprised and a little embarrassed. The man let go of Veronica's arm and teleported away.

Link stood for a minute, trying to sort through what just happened. After Link regained his composure, he spoke, since Veronica had shown no inclination to speak first. "Hello, I'm Link and I was told that I would need your help."

"Help with what?" Veronica replied.

"You speak Ancient Hylian, don't you?"

"Yeah, why? Do you want me to teach you?"

"And you can teleport?" Link asked, ignoring her question.

"Yeah."

"Well, this may sound crazy, but a shade from the past told me that I would need you on my journey to stop Vaati and Ganondorf. So, what I need is for you to come with me and help me in whatever way you can," Link said.

Veronica looked slightly confused, but said "I'm really not much of a fighter. I was trained in stealth fighting, but I really don't like violence. I don't think I'll be much help," Veronica replied.

"The shades speak Ancient Hylian and I don't. They are also guardians of incredibly powerful artifacts, so if they say something it's probably a good idea to listen. So, are you going to join me or not?" Link said, a bit more bluntly than he'd have liked, but Veronica agreed nonetheless.

"Now that that's settled, what in Hyrule are you wearing?" Link asked. Veronica turned red in embarrassment.

Author's note:

Short chapter, fairly boring, but it's completely necessary. Sorry about it, and sorry that I'm introducing so many original ideas. Other than a few Triforce abilities, I don't think there will be too many more original ideas, but I could be wrong and the story could take an unexpected turn. So, I'm trying to think of some good Triforce of Courage powers, anyone want to review and leave a suggestion or two?


	10. Chapter 10

Last major OC, probably, and a look at some of his powers and an example of Veronica's.

Chapter 10:

Link never did get a reply from Veronica regarding her clothing. Link didn't ask again, mostly due to the fact that he doubted he would get an answer. Link walked back to Malon's bar, assuming Veronica would follow him. She didn't.

Link, after having walked to the top of the ridiculously long staircase that led to the lower part of the villager, looked back and saw her still standing in front of her house, watching him. Link sighed, irritated that he had to get her to follow him. "You agreed to come with me. Come on," Link said, though he said it a bit harsher than he meant.

"I agreed to join you, not to follow you around wherever you go," Veronica replied.

"Alright, fine. Why don't you want to come with me, and how do you plan on joining me if you won't come with me?" Link asked.

"Well, I was expecting you to tell me where you needed to go to find these shades or whatever they are and I'd just teleport there, translate, and leave. As for joining you, you're the Hero. A lot of dangerous stuff happened to you in the past. I don't want to get hurt, and it seems that by joining you I would get seriously hurt," Veronica replied.

"Fine, let's make a deal. I promise to protect you from danger to the best of my ability if you agree to come with me, and promise not to flee. If you do flee, I will find you, I will force you to come with me, and you will submit, and if I have to do that, then I will no longer be bound by my promise to protect you. Deal?" Link held out his hand. Though Link was reluctant to use any form of magic, even the magic of his Triforce piece, he felt that he had no choice. Link tapped into his Triforce of Courage and activated its sealing power, to make this agreement magically binding. His Triforce piece began to glow, drawing the attention of Veronica.

"Why is that mark glowing?" Veronica asked.

"It binds me to keep my end of the bargain. I will have no choice but to protect you danger, at least as far as I am able. Now, do we have a deal?" Link replied.

Veronica hesitated for a moment, then nodded her head and shook Link's hand. The glowing from the Triforce of Courage surrounded them and pierced through both of their hearts, briefly linking them together by a golden light. Link felt no pain from this, but it did feel odd. Link had no way of describing it other than weird.

When the light faded Link said to Veronica "Well, that was odd. Now, we need to find a boy named Norman. Can you help?"

"No, not without knowing him first. And I don't know any Normans, sorry."

Link just sighed in response and walked to Malon's bar, knowing Veronica would follow. Link entered Malon's bar and walked in to a noticeably less stuffy room. Link noticed that since he left Malon opened a window. There were two guys in the room, each sitting on the opposite side of the room as the other. The one closest to Link was wearing a brown robe and had short, dark hair. His back was turned to Link, so Link couldn't see the guy's face, but Link could tell he was fairly small in size. The other one was huge, wore a brown shirt and a set of plain white leggings. His arms were scarred and he had a massive scar on his face, from his chin to the tip of his brown eye. Malon seemed stressed, so Link guessed that the two guys were fighting before.

Malon looked at Link and Veronica, and when she saw Veronica her eyes widened in shock. She ran over to Veronica and hugged her. "Veronica, I can't believe it! You're back! Groose said you weren't coming back!"

"I wasn't, but my dad brought me back, at the request of the Hero," Veronica replied. Link just stood there in an awkward shock.

"Wait, you two know each other? How?" Link asked.

"See what happens when you don't visit for three years? You miss stuff. About two weeks after your last visit Veronica and her dad moved into the village. Over the course of about eight or nine months, Veronica and I got to be good friends. She visited the bar every day. But, two years ago she was told that she left to go on some journey. She didn't tell anyone anything, but Groose has a way of knowing things. He said she was never coming back, so I assumed he knew what he was talking about. Looks like I was wrong," Malon said. Veronica just nodded her head in agreement with everything Malon said, and Link figured she wasn't going to say why she left, so he didn't bother asking.

"Okay, so have you seen Norman around?" Link asked, very abruptly changing the subject.

"Yeah, he's the guy in the robe." Malon pointed to Norman. Link was now able to see his face and noticed that Norman had silver eyes. Norman stood up and walked over to Link.

"Hello, my name is Norman. I overheard you asking about me and saw Malon pointing me out. What is it you need?" Norman asked in a deep, powerful voice.

"Uh, my name is Link and I'm the Hero. I'm trying to stop Ganondorf and Vaati and was told that you would be necessary in order to complete my quest. I can't really say much more than that, simply because that's all I know right now. Will you join me?"

"Your hands are glowing with a powerful silver light, though through the silver on your left hand I see a great and powerful golden light. I will join you," Norman replied. Link personally thought this guy was really weird. Link also thought Veronica was going to be very high maintenance. Link wondered why he needed them specifically; he was sure he could find less strange people to travel with.

"Um, alright then. Welcome to the team. This is Veronica, she will also be joining us," Link said.

"Yes, I see in her a bright, purple light," Norman said.

"You keep saying that you can see a light in us, what does that mean?" Link asked.

"Norman can see power in the form of light. He's probably referring to Veronica's teleportation powers and your Triforce of Courage, though I'm not sure about the silver. Maybe your new gauntlets," Malon said.

Link wasn't sure about this. Both of his new companions seemed to be highly skilled in magic, and Link was reluctant to have anything to do with it. But Link trusted the dead, and if a dead spirit told him he needed those two, them Link would bring them along.

"I assume you want a demonstration of what all I can do?" Norman asked.

"Uh, yeah, I guess that'd be a good idea." Link said. "I should probably get an idea of what you too can do, Veronica."

Veronica agreed to show Link some of her powers, though reluctantly, and she refused to show everything she could do. Her reasoning was that if she didn't need to use those abilities on this journey, which she doubted she would, then there was no need to share them. Norman agreed with Veronica, Link didn't really care one way or another. If she had some secret trick up her sleeve, then she could keep it up her sleeve if she wanted. Norman led the group to a rocky outcrop just off the trail up Death Mountain. It was a dry, dusty area of nothing but rocks and dust. Norman told Link and Veronica to stay near the path; he walked into the center of the outcrop. Norman closed his eyes and seemed to do nothing. He then suddenly opened his eyes and two enormous boulders began to float. He reached out his hands towards the boulders and lifted his hands. The boulders followed the path of his hands. Norman then thrust his palms forwards. The boulders flew straight forward, each hitting a rock spire and destroying it on impact. Norman smiled and telekinetically lifted the small pebbles left from the rock spires. He moved had them spin around him in an insanely fast circle. Norman lifted a nearby boulder and pulled it towards himself, only to have it obliterated by the pebbles. Link was impressed. Norman all the pebbles and swayed a bit. Link ran up to make sure Norman was okay. He was, but the telekinesis he did took a lot out of him. Link heard Veronica sneeze behind him, probably due to all the dust, and turned around to say "Bless you." Before Link said anything he saw that Veronica was gone. He was about to say something when she reappeared, red with embarrassment.

"What was that about?" Link asked.

"Sorry, when I sneeze I accidentally teleport. Usually myself, but I've teleported other people and other things before, too," Veronica replied.

"Great," Link muttered. Norman asked Link what they were going to do next.

Link replied and said "We're going to Hyrule Castle. The Princess has been expecting me."

Author's note:

Well, this chapter seems a bit weird. Then again, so did the last chapter. Don't worry, the story will be back to feeling more Zelda like very soon, and Norman will be the last major OC in the story. I make no promises regarding minor ones, but no more major ones. I also won't be adding to Link's group, since three main characters are all I think I can handle at once. Veronica's sneeze teleport thing will be mostly comic relief and won't show up in the story very often. Please leave a review and I'm still looking for Triforce powers, any ideas at all would be appreciated.


	11. Chapter 11

Here's a look at what Zelda's been up to. If I remember correctly, Zelda came up with some idea of a way she could help Link out on his journey. In case anyone forgot (it was a very long time ago) she planned on traveling to the Sheikah, in the guise of Sheik, to learn everything she could to better help Link. Since this chapter is about Sheik, I need to do a little explaining about Sheik's gender. Sheik's gender is possibly one of the most controversial topics in the Legend of Zelda universe. I always prefered to think that Zelda used the Triforce of Wisdom's magic to actually change herself into a male, in order to better hide from Ganondorf. Since that is my preference, that's what I'm sticking with. So, for all intensive purposes, Sheik is a guy in this story.

Chapter 11:

Zelda arrived at the hidden village of the Sheikah, a small village hidden by caves, boulders, and mountains, a few days ago. She had been in the guise of Sheik, pretending to be a lone survivor of a small Sheikah camp. As a result, Sheik knew little of the Sheikah ways. Sheik, after resting for a few days, traveled the village, asking the local Sheikah about their lore and tried to worm out as much knowledge as he could. One girl told him the story of the demon king, Demise.

"A really long time ago," the girl began, "the goddess Hylia and her people waged war against the demons, led by Demise. Demise was after the Triforce, and Hylia and her army were all that stood in his way. Hylia created two swords to fight Demise with, each with guardian spirits inside to guide whoever held them. One of the swords, however, was stolen. The spirit inside of that sword was named Ghirahim. Ghirahim was more emotional and impulsive than the other spirit, who was named Fi, and as a result Demise was able to twist him and, through him, the sword into great evil. He used the sword in the battle against the goddess, causing great havoc and death. Hylia, in desperation, used the power of the Triforce to seal Demise away and send her people to the sky, where they lived for many generations. Hylia hid away the Triforce, to keep it from the unworthy, and gave Fi specific instructions for the day when a hero would appear to take up arms and defeat the evil demon king.

"Many years passed, and eventually a young man training to become a knight was singled out to be the goddess's chosen hero. Hylia took a mortal form and lived amongst her people as a young girl. The girl had no memories of the goddess. Ghirahim, the spirit of Demise's evil sword, brought the girl to the surface with evil magic to try and revive Demise. A member of the Sheikah found the goddess before Ghirahim and trained her to fulfill her role in Demise's destruction. The hero traveled, at first looking for the girl, through a forest, volcano, and desert, eventually learning that he needed to purify his sword in three sacred flames to increase its strength and power. His journey led him through an ancient cistern, a vast ocean, and a volcanic shrine. With his newly powered sword her opened a gate and traveled back in time, right after Demise was sealed. There he found his friend and was told that she would be suspended in a sleep until Demise was destroyed. The girl, before entering her slumber, gave the hero's sword new power, turning it into the True Master Sword. The hero took his sword and sought out the Triforce to destroy Demise. The hero, after much trial and struggle, obtains the Triforce and destroys Demise in his time. The girl awakened and it seemed all was calm.

"However, they forgot about Ghirahim. Ghirahim snatched the girl and took her into the past, before Demise's destruction. The hero rushed after her, fighting hoards of monsters to get to Ghirahim. Ghirahim cast his spell and challenged the hero. The hero defeated Ghirahim, but was too late to stop the spell. Demise was revived. He challenged the hero to a one-on-one duel in a realm he created. The hero rushed into battle, knowing he had to try to defeat the evil demon king, even if it cost him his life. The two fought, and the hero prevailed. With his dying breath, Demise cursed the hero and the girl and their descendents to be followed by an incarnation of his hatred. The hero absorbed what remained of the dying demon king into the True Master Sword. The sword's holy might slowly began destroying what remained of Demise's residual consciousness. The hero set the sword to sleep, and the people of the sky returned to the land below, where they built great cities. Demise's sword was given to the Minish, a race of tiny beings extremely proficient in magic. The sword was still tainted by Demise's evil, so the goddess gave the Minish the Light Force to cleanse the blade. The Minish held on to those two items for generations.

"Many years later, a great evil came upon the land. The Minish granted the hero of the time the sword and the Light Force. The hero used them to drive back the evil, and put them in a resting place until a few years back when Vaati attacked. You know about Vaati attacking, right?"

"Yes, I've heard quite a bit about Vaati's attack," Sheik replied. "What about the True Master Sword, what happened to it?"

"Demise's evil, though it was ultimately eradicated, weakened the True Master Sword. When the great evil of so long ago came around and attacked, after the hero tried to get the Triforce, the sages used the old sword, since they needed some kind of basis to give the Master Sword its power. The first time they tried to reawaken its old powers, and they were partially successful. They made the sword about as powerful as the Master Sword was before the goddess empowered it. The second time it was made considerably stronger, but still not as strong as when the goddess had empowered it. The armor and stuff the sages made was a cheap mockery of the Master Sword, and without any holy basis the armor and stuff wasn't made nearly as strong as the Master Sword," the girl replied.

"Do you know of any way to reawaken its old power?" Sheik asked.

"Well, if the goddess were to power it up again, I imagine it'd be just as powerful as before. But the goddess isn't really around to power the sword up," the girl said.

Sheik thanked the girl for the information and continued asking around the village. The people all confirmed the girl's story about the swords. Sheik formed a rough idea of how to help Link with the knowledge he gained, but still needed time to work it out. Sheik learned a great deal about the Triforce of Wisdom, like that it granted its bearer the power to bolster other magic and powers. Sheik also learned a few magics that might prove to be useful to Link on his journey. Sheik figured Link would probably take about a day to get the Gauntlets, give or take. So, he decided to spend about fifteen hours with the Sheikah before returning to the castle. His fifteen hours had been spent, so he said goodbye to everyone and returned to the castle. Once at the castle, Sheik changed back into Zelda and Zelda began working on her idea to help Link.

Author's Note:

Sorry this chapter is boring and Lore-y. Zelda's been a busy girl, or rather guy, and I felt the need to show that. Next chapter more about Link. I also want to apologize for the summary of Skyward Sword, especially if any of you haven't played it yet. I needed the summary to serve as a basis behind the creation of the Four Sword, the origin of the Light Force, and a little more about the Master Sword. I feel rather relieved having tied Skyward Sword to the story, and having connected it to the back story on the Master Sword I gave. Please leave a review, let me know if I need to improve anything, and if there's anything you want to see in this story. Also, if anyone is actually reading this story, please leave a review, even if it says "I'm reading it. Post something new already." They really help the motivation process, which equals more chapters for you to read.


	12. Chapter 12

This chapter is being posted relatively quickly. I've taken a fair bit of creative licensing in this chapter regarding Demise's curse and Dark Link's origins.

Chapter 12:

Link and his new party left Kakariko. As they walked down the overly long staircase leading out of the village, Link felt something. He apparently looked troubled, since Norman asked him what was wrong. "It's nothing," Link replied.

The farther down Link got on the staircase (seriously, why was that thing so long?) the greater his anxiety became. At the bottom Link figured out why. In the shadow of a tree stood Dark Link. Link immediately drew his sword and rushed towards Dark Link, stopping about ten feet in front of him. Dark Link merely stood under the tree, with a feral grin on his face. Norman and Veronica caught up to Link, both panting heavily. "What's wrong, Link?" Veronica panted.

"See that darker version of me with red eyes under that tree?" Link asked, pointing to the tree.

"Yeah," Veronica replied.

"That's Dark Link. An evil, twisted version of me, created by Ganondorf," Link replied.

"Hold on," Dark Link interrupted, "Ganondorf did NOT create me, I was born of the curse the original evil put on your ancestor and predecessor. He cursed you to always be followed by an incarnation of his hatred, which would be me and Ganondorf. That's why he was able to keep me locked up in the Water Temple, because he and I are incarnations of the same thing, and as such are linked together."

Link didn't bother replying to that story. Link already knew that Dark Link was made of Link's evil, how the evil took form didn't really matter. Dark Link drew his sword; a black, evil looking blade with a red hilt the same shape as the Master Sword. Link stared at it. "What is that sword?" Link asked.

"This is the, oh, what did Vaati call it? Oh yeah, the Usurper Sword. Let's see, if I was listening, which I doubt I was, then Vaati said something about this being a Sword of Evil's Boon, and equal and opposite blade to the Master Sword. And if I remember correctly, this beauty was forged from the Four Sword itself," Dark Link replied. Dark Link took one step forward when some shadows seemed to come together behind him. Dark Link sighed as the shadows formed a man shaped silhouette. A fierce wind blew the shadows away, revealing Vaati.

"Dark Link! You can't run off to just 'play around' with that sword!" Vaati yelled at Dark Link.

"Calm down, I'm not just senselessly killing random people. It's the Hero. And I'm not gonna kill him, I'm just gonna beat him senseless a little," Dark Link replied.

"Oh, hello again vile Hero," Vaati spat.

"So, you're the great Wind Mage, Vaati. I've always wanted to test my powers against you. Come on, Wind Mage," Norman said. To Link, he whispered "The darker you's power is faint, but it's a very dark, almost black red. The sword emits no light, but rather darkness. Darkness usually equates unimaginable, limitless evil. Vaati's is weird, it looks light a bright white light mixed with some very dark purple."

"The purple is probably his own, original power. The white is probably due to the Light Force," Link whispered back. "I hope you know what you're doing, Vaati is insanely tough."

Norman just nodded. Link looked to where Veronica was, only to see that she teleported away somewhere, probably to hide. Link sighed. He lifted up his sword and prepared to duel Dark Link. Vaati seemed perplexed at Norman's statement. "You do realized who I am, right? Besides, I have no need to fight you," Vaati said.

"Sounds to me like you're scared, Vaati. I'm fighting the Hero, why can't you handle this kid?" Dark Link taunted. Vaati sneered and teleported a fair distance away, gesturing for Norman to approach him. Norman walked off to where Vaati was and prepared himself.

Link made a move like he was about to attack, when Dark Link motioned for him to stop. Link didn't attack, but kept his guard up. "Relax, Hero. Just because I'm your shadow doesn't mean I'm your exact opposite. I fight with morals and a code of combat, it just tends to be a little skewed at times. I'm not going to fight you right now; I want to see how your ally does against Vaati. And to prove I'm serious, I'll lay my sword on the ground. I trust you won't attack an unarmed opponent?" Dark Link said. Link lowered his sword as Dark Link laid his on the ground, a fair distance away. Far enough that Dark Link wouldn't be able to subtly or quickly pick it back up. Link turned to watch the battle.

Norman began with a telekinetic wave. The wave knocked Vaati back. Vaati got back up and gave Norman a look of pity, as if saying "Is that it?" Norman replied by sending a far stronger telekinetic wave at Vaati. That wave sent Vaati flying back towards a large wall of stone. Just before Vaati hit the cliff he teleported. Vaati reappeared behind Norman and blasted him with a ball of dark energy. Norman was sent flying towards the cliff. To increase Norman's speed, Vaati conjured a fierce tailwind. Norman used his telekinetic powers to slow and eventually stop his flight, leaving him levitating in mid-air. Vaati grinned and threw another ball of dark energy at Norman. Norman managed to lift a boulder to block the attack, but the boulder was destroyed in the process. Norman sent the shards of the boulder flying towards Vaati. Vaati summoned winds strong enough to reverse the shards and sent them flying back towards Norman. Norman dropped himself down several feet out of the way of the shards. Vaati teleported behind Norman, grabbed him by his neck, and threw him onto the ground. Norman was unconscious. Vaati teleported to the tree that Dark Link was standing under. "Now, hurry up you little fight so we can go. The Hero's death is not now," Vaati said.

Dark Link rolled his eyes, picked up his sword, and walked towards Link. Link lifted his sword and prepared to fight. Dark Link swung at Link's right shoulder. Link blocked it with his shield. Link swung at Dark Link's right shoulder, only to have his sword blocked in a similar manner. They continued fighting like that for several minutes, with neither side gaining any sort of advantage, until Dark Link feinted and hit Link's gauntlet. The gauntlet began the glow, the Usurper Sword began to glow in an anti-light, and the area where they touched seemed to explode. The explosion knocked Link on his back, but merely staggered Dark Link. Dark Link quickly recovered, walked to where Link was lying on the ground, kicked his sword out of his hand, sheathed his own sword, and lifted Link by the throat with his left hand. Dark Link sneered and lifted his shield as if to bash Link's head. Dark Link made a slight movement of his shield and then he grunted and fell to the ground, groaning. Link gasped for breath and saw that Veronica was right behind where Dark Link was. She kicked him in between his legs, rendering him immobile for at least the next twenty minutes.

Vaati scowled and grabbed Dark Link, teleporting them both away. "Thanks," Link said to Veronica.

"You're welcome," she replied.

"We need to make sure Norman is okay. When you left, did you stay where you could see what was happening?"

"Yeah. I went and checked on Norman while you and Dark Link where pointlessly exchanging sword swings. He's alright, but he'll be out for a while," Veronica replied.

"Can you carry him?" Link asked. Veronica shook her head.

"Then I'll do it. Come on, we need to get to the castle."

Author's note:

Not too bad a chapter, right? Plenty of action, though it was a bit short. Anyway, please leave a review so that I know someone is actually reading this and I'm no just wasting my time posting these chapters.


	13. Chapter 13

And here is another exciting input on the life of Link and his new weird friends.

Chapter 13:

Link carried Norman over his left shoulder. Norman, despite being so small, seemed to Link to weigh a ton. Maybe it was from his fight with Dark Link. Maybe the fight had tired him out a lot more than he realized. Link decided that that particular reasoning was correct, since it saved him from being a wimp. A few minutes later, Veronica suddenly stopped. "What is it?" Link asked.

"I just realized that I could have teleported us to Hyrule Castle. Sorry I didn't think of this sooner," Veronica replied.

"Seriously? I've been carrying Norman for how long now, and you could have teleported us right there in a matter of seconds?" Link was only being angry for appearance sake; he hadn't really thought of it either and couldn't really justify being mad at Veronica. But that didn't stop him from at least making it look like he was mad, to avoid the fact that he didn't think of it either.

"Hey, you didn't think of it either!" Veronica replied. Well, Link thought, so much for me avoiding that fact.

"Fine, let's do this. Teleport away," Link said, despite his reluctance at relying on magic. Link had a rational part to his brain that told him when it was necessary, and to help him get over how much magic he was involved in. This rational part of Link told him that he needed to get used to the feeling of teleportation, since it may save his life later on.

"Uh, well, teleporting is easy with just me. And with one other person it isn't too bad, but with two other people? I'm not entirely sure that it will go over too well," Veronica said.

"Meaning?" Link asked.

"Huh?"

"How might it not 'go over too well?'"

"Oh, I might miss by a few feet. Or a few miles, depends on how well I do."

"And there's no way to not have that particular risk?"

"Uh, not really. Not unless I practice with more people," Veronica replied.

"... Fine. Do it anyway."

Veronica grabbed Link by the arm and teleported them away. In an instant, Link felt his feet hit something solid, like he fell and landed on his legs. Link looked around, confused. His vision was blurry. After a few seconds his vision cleared and he was able to see clearly. Veronica had teleported them on top of the gate that held the gargoyles. Link looked at the gargoyles and realized why they disturbed him before; they looked almost exactly like Ganon. Link decided that whoever put up those gargoyles had either a cruel sense of humor or very bad taste on decoration. Probably both.

Link looked to his left and saw Veronica looking around. "Um, I think I missed a bit," she said.

"At least we're near the castle and not in Gerudo Desert or Kokiri Forest. Or in the moat." Link said.

"So, now what?" Veronica asked. Link mentally sighed; Veronica seemed to be a bit of an air head.

"We walk." Link began walking towards the castle, knowing Veronica would follow. After all, she had little choice.

After a few minutes of walking through the lovely scenery and flowers of the Hyrule Castle grounds, the two (three, including the unconscious Norman) arrived at the front gate of the castle. Link told the guard that they were here to see Zelda. The guard, after asking for an autograph from the famous Hero of Hyrule, promptly let them in, muttering "I can't believe I just met the legendary Hero!" Link sighed; he wasn't too fond of all the attention he was getting. He wasn't naïve enough to think that what he did was unimportant, but he was naïve enough to think it wasn't as big a deal as everyone thought it was. Link and Veronica walked a few steps into the castle when the creepy physician walked up behind them. He quickly said "Hi there!" and caused Veronica to jump about a foot in the air from surprise. Link, used to this kind of thing, and unable to jump due to Norman's weight, turned around and said hi to the physician.

"Well, looks like you've got an unconscious person there, huh? Want me to fix him up? I'll have him back on his feet in no time," the physician said. Veronica, still trying to recover, said nothing.

The physician looked at her and said "Maybe I should take a look at this one, too. Seems to be in a state of shock, she does." Link quickly hid a grin. Veronica quickly recovered and shook her head, backing away from the small, strange man.

The physician shrugged and said "Suite yourself. I'll just take the unconscious one, then."

Link happily handed Norman over to the physician, who easily carried Norman off to a hospital room. Link turned and continued walking to the throne room. Veronica remained standing for a minute, then quickly ran to catch up with Link. Link entered the throne room, only to find that Zelda was not there. Link pulled a guard over and asked him where Zelda was. The guard said that he didn't know, but that he was certain that all Link had to do was wait and that she would soon be out. The guard even offered to send someone to look for her. Link declined and waited.

Author's Note:

Yes, I ended with a bit of a cliffhanger. Oh, well. Next chapter might be up soon, might not. I've been on and off with overall business, so I don't really know when I'll next be able to type this. Anyway, what did you guys think of this chapter? Personally, I found it rather boring, but I felt the need to post something, didn't have much time to do it, and figured a filler about traveling to the castle would do for a little while. Hopefully. Anyway, as always, review so I don't feel like I'm posting a story to a bunch of electronic boulders. Not saying that anyone who might actually be reading this is a boulder, but that I feel the need to know if no one is reading my story.


	14. Chapter 14

Pretty quick post, at least compared to how I normally post. I should have done this a long time ago, but then again Aerith Gan should have updated his story a long time ago, too. Those of you who like my story, try his, The Legend of Zelda: The Cult of Majora. The story is really good; I strongly recommend reading it. Anyway, on to my story.

Chapter 14:

Link didn't have to wait long before Veronica started talking. Babbling, more like. Link, with his innate ability to listen to everything, soon found himself irritated beyond measure. He heard things like "Will the princess be here soon," to "I hope the princess didn't get lost," and even to "Why do you wear that weird pointy hat?"

Link, in an effort to maybe embarrass her into silence, said "You sure are a chatterbox now. When I first met you, you barely said anything." Link's comment worked well enough; Veronica turned red and stopped talking.

Link got about a minute's worth of peace before Veronica started again. She was telling Link all about her adventures in Labrynna and Holodrum. At one point she mentioned that the Holodrum king was pushing for Holodrum to make huge technological advances. She also mentioned that Labrynna had made huge progress in the magical arts. Link, almost sick of listening to Veronica talk, decided that he would ask a guard to look for Zelda. Link pulled a passing guard over and asked him to look for Zelda and send her to the throne room. After the guard got over his initial over-excitement at having been spoken to by the Hero of Hyrule, ran off to find the princess.

Link had to only put up with Veronica's incessant babbling for about 20 more seconds. Then she sneezed and teleported off somewhere. Link sighed in relief. After about five more minutes, Norman returned with the physician following him closely behind, saying "You need more rest! You aren't fully healed yet! Most Hylians would have died in your position, there's no way you could already be better!"

"How do you know what I went through? For all you know, I merely hit my head and was knocked out," Norman replied.

"You fought Vaati and he blasted you into the ground! Very few Hylians would have survived that. In fact, the only Hylian I can think of who would have is Link," the physician replied.

Norman froze. "How do you know that I fought Vaati? How could you possibly know that?" Norman asked.

The physician replied, saying "I saw it through my double telescope. I bought it in Holodrum. It lets me see things very far away as if they were close."

Link suddenly remembered Veronica talking about Holodrum's advances in technology. Link had a feeling that this wasn't the last he was going to hear about Holodrum technology.

"Oh, well, I am fine. I heal really fast, okay? Please go back to whatever it is you normally do," Norman said. The physician turned around and walked away, muttering under his breath.

"Come to think of it, you did survive that battle with Vaati, and that was one nasty impact. How did you manage that? And you already healed? Are you Hylian?" Link asked.

"Well, no, not really. Have you ever heard of the Blinx people?" Norman asked.

"Yeah, they all have strange powers, some more useful than others. From what I've heard, they usually stay in alternate dimensions or something," Link replied.

"Yeah, well one type of Blinx has the power to see the power in others and another has the power of telekinesis. My mom had the power of telekinesis and my dad was one of those who could see power. As a result, I inherited both powers. Unfortunately, two years after my birth the Blinx became very hostile and banished me to Hyrule, since I was not a full member of either tribe. My parents were executed for treachery," Norman said.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Link said.

"Don't worry about it; I came to terms with what happened a long time ago. By the way, where's Veronica?"

"Oh, she sneezed herself off somewhere," Link said.

"And she's still not back?"

"Nope."

"Aren't you a little concerned?" Norman asked.

"Not really. She can fend for herself," Link replied. Plus, she was really getting on my last nerves, Link thought. He kept that part in his mind, though.

Not three seconds had passed and Veronica teleported back, with a bottle of milk. "Sorry I was gone so long, but I teleported to Malon's bar and started talking to her, and I got a bottle of milk!" Veronica said.

Link and Norman just stared at her. Veronica turned red and looked away. Before things could get any more awkward (if that was possible), Princess Zelda came into the room. Norman bowed. Veronica hastened to do the same. Link, however, had never bowed to the princess before and wasn't going to start now. Besides, Zelda might pass out from shock if he did, and that would be bad. Instead, Link just said "Hey, Zelda!"

Norman shot a quick look at Link, though to Link it certainly seemed more like a glare, but quickly dropped it when Zelda said "Link! You made it, and I see you got the Gauntlets. Well done! Who are these two?"

"This is Norman, and this is Veronica. A shade from the past told me that I'd need them on my quest, and you know how I am about taking advice from the dead," Link replied. When Norman was introduced, he bowed. When Veronica was introduced, she tried to bow, too, but wound up doing a half curtsy have bow hybrid.

"So, Zelda, what's next? Do I need to slay the shadow monster or what?" Link asked.

Zelda replied and said "Yeah, how about you go do that while I talk to your friends and see what aid they can offer you on your journey."

"You're not scared, are you?" Link teased.

"Terrified. Now, once you beat this monster, you'll pull out the Master Sword and bring it to me. I might know of a way to make it stronger. Good luck," Zelda said. Link just sighed and walked back to the Temple of Time. The road was fairly clear, which Link thought was really odd considering the time. Then Link remembered that it was market day in the town. Sure enough, when Link approached the town he saw a large crowd gathered around the market. This meant he wouldn't draw too much attention to himself. The road to the Temple was clear, making Link's journey really easy.

Link walked into the Temple, past the stone pedestal that held the Spiritual Stones, through the large entryway to the Master Sword, and stopped about ten feet away from the monster that guarded the sword. The monster stared at Link. Link stared back. The monster quickly leapt towards Link. The monster was insanely fast, and even with the speed boost from the Triforce of Courage, Link was still unable to get out of the way. The monster clawed Link in the side, touching the right Gauntlet. The monster's skin, or whatever it was made of, began to sizzle and steam. The creature hissed in pain. Link took advantage of this moment and attacked. Link knew better than to try to attack with his sword, so he opted for a punch. Link hit the monster square in the jaw, causing the body around it to sizzle and smoke. The creature hissed again and grabbed its face. Link grabbed the creature's legs and squeezed them tight. Since all Link could really do was hold the monster until to died, he held it. Eventually the monster's legs disintegrated, leaving a monster with only a torso. The monster slashed at Link, but in its pain it was slow. Link caught the monster's arm and crushed it until it, too, disintegrated. Link walked around the monster to the Master Sword. He pulled the Sword of Evil's Bane out of the pedestal, causing the room to glow in a holy light.

The light faded, and Link saw the monster using its last arm to shield its eyes from the light. Link walked up to the monster and quickly stabbed it where its heart should be. The creature screamed in pain. The Master Sword began to glow, and light began bursting from the monster. The monster finally exploded. Link spun the Master Sword in satisfaction and sheathed it. Link then walked back to the castle.

Author's Note:

Personally I found this chapter to be much more satisfying. Reviews certainly help speed up the writing process, in fact, reviews in this sense are a lot like currency. You bribe the workers with a few extra reviews and they work faster and harder. I think you guys should try it out and see what happens.


	15. Chapter 15

Wow, I'm on a role. It hasn't been a month, and I have another chapter. Sweet. On with the story!

Chapter 15:

Link walked into the throne room. He saw Zelda talking to Norman while Veronica stood off to the side and watched. Link wasn't entirely sure if she was listening, but her gaze was focused on the Princess, somewhat. Link walked up behind Zelda, who had her back turned when he entered. Link tapped her on the shoulder and said "Hi."

Zelda jumped about a foot in the air from shock. "Link! What have I told you about sneaking up on me?"

"Uh, nothing. This is the first time I've done that," Link replied.

"Oh, uh, well, don't! Anyway, you got the sword, I see?"

"Yeah, now what's this about increasing its power?" Link asked.

"Oh, right. I'm not entirely sure if this will work, since Vaati has most of my Light Force, but let me see the Master Sword," Zelda replied.

Link handed Zelda the Master Sword. Zelda took it in her left hand and began muttering in the same language as the shades. "Vis virtute Lucis quod habitat in me hoc ferrum recipere splendorem suum ius et sicut erat." Link saw the blade begin to glow brighter, but it dimmed back down after a few seconds.

Zelda stopped muttering and frowned. Link noticed the Triforce of Wisdom dim down, though he hadn't noticed it glowing before. "Well, that didn't work. The Master Sword seems to be almost the same as when I started. I think I made it more responsive to magic, but I'm not sure," Zelda said.

Link looked at Norman, who quickly understood what Link wanted. "The color of the power in the blade is the same silver as it was before. It is similar to the Gauntlets on Link's hands, but brighter. You did make it brighter, and I see room for more. Perhaps your Light Force isn't strong enough, and it needs more?" Norman said.

"Oh, well that makes a lot of sense. Yes, and now that I think about it I was worried that I wouldn't have enough power to fully power up the Master Sword. Okay, so Link the next time you fight Vaati, get him to shoot a blast of magical energy. The Light Force in the blast should fully power up the Master Sword. And I learned something else about the Master Sword. The sword is very responsive to the Hero, or, rather, his Triforce piece," Zelda said.

"The Triforce of Courage? Why is the Master Sword responsive to that?" Link asked.

"The goddess who created the Master Sword, Hylia, knew that the blade needed to be wielded by the Hero, and she knew before hand that the Hero would bare Farore's Triforce piece, so she made the blade responsive to the Triforce of Courage. If you put your left hand over the blade and say the proper incantation, the Master Sword will come at your beckoning," Zelda replied.

"What's the incantation?" Link asked.

"Repeat after me: Potero respondebo, mucro, unum atque Triforce partem mecum," Zelda said.

"Uh, potero respodebo, muco, unum atque Triforce parem mecum?" Link said. Link was able to immediately tell that he said something wrong, but the Master Sword didn't seem to care. It began to glow. Link's Triforce piece began to glow. The two lights joined together, and dimmed down back to where they were before.

"Wow, Link, the gold of your hand now dwells in the handle of the Master Sword, along with the silver it had before," Norman said.

"So, now what?" Link asked.

"Try throwing it over there," Zelda replied, pointing to the grand hall

Link did as he was asked and threw the sword into the grand hall. "Now, focus on the Master Sword returning to your hand," Zelda told him. Link obeyed and immediately the Master Sword flew into Link's hand, settling itself into his hand perfectly. Link didn't like magic, but he had to admit that that was pretty cool.

"Hm, I wonder. Link, throw the sword again, and when I count to three summon it," Norman said. Link obeyed and threw the sword again. Norman began counting and on three Link summoned the Master Sword. Again the sword flew to his hand.

"Wow, your bind with that sword easily overcame my telekinesis. I tried pulling it towards me, but it seemed to have no affect at all. Throw it one more time, and I'll see if I can use my telekinesis to get it into my hand and, if I can get it, you try summoning it out of my hand," Norman said. Link obeyed, and Norman was able to get the sword to fly to his hand, though not as perfectly as when it flew to Link's hand. Link then tried to summon the Master Sword. The sword flew out of Norman's hand into Link's.

"Impressive. That's one nice power," Norman said.

"Oh, that reminds me! Link, I saw a few stones with the Triforce symbol on them. I learned a little about my Triforce piece from them. Maybe they will give you some new powers," Zelda said.

Link sighed. He, personally, was sick of all the magic he had put up with. He wanted something nice and normal to happen. Sadly, however, that wasn't going to happen. "Alright, where are the stones?"

"Actually, one is right outside the castle in the garden. I guess I never actually thought about it being one of the stones that gives knowledge and power, just decoration. There is another right outside the Temple of Time. Again, I always thought it was decorative. All you have to do is touch the stone and it will give you power or knowledge about your Triforce piece," Zelda said.

Link, though thinking something along the lines of: If you bare the Triforce of Wisdom how are you so oblivious to these things? said "Alright. Norman, Veronica, you two stay here with Zelda. See if she can teach you anything or vice-versa."

Link walked out to the castle garden, which was conveniently located right next to the entrance to the castle itself. Link entered the archway covered in roses that led to the garden. The garden itself was very beautiful. There were roses and flowers of many colors, along with several large, shady trees. Link wasn't a botanist, so he knew very little about the plants in the garden, but he did know that they were beautiful.

Link walked past the flowers until he came to the stone. Link had seen the stone before, but that was before he even knew what the Triforce was. Link touched the stone and immediately felt as if his soul was sucked out of his body. "The first one to bear the Triforce of Courage, the original Hero, imparted much of his power to the piece. The original Hero walked the land after defeated the great evil as a champion. He was praised everywhere. His prowess in battle was legendary. After many years of travel, he drew the attention of Farore. She admired his power. Eventually, the Hero drew the attention of the other Golden Goddesses. Each admired his power. The Hero was granted a gift. He was given the powers of a deity. As a deity, his body was changed. His hair turned white, his eyes turned white, and his body grew slightly in size. However, all the power began to corrupt him. He thirsted for blood. He challenged every warrior he thought would make a worthy opponent. He destroyed villages, murdered families, and eventually became known as the Fierce Deity. The Goddesses, fearing he would destroy everything, intervened. Din, the Goddess of Power, challenged him to a battle. The Fierce Deity fought hard, and in the end he defeated the Golden Goddess. Nayru, in her Wisdom, knew that the Fierce Deity could not be beaten in battle. She also knew that by granting him the powers of a Deity the Goddesses had immortalized him. Waiting for him to die was no option, nor was killing him in his sleep. Nayru came up with a plan to trap the Fierce Deity. She made a prison and told Farore what needed to happen. Farore agreed, and lured the Fierce Deity to the prison. The Fierce Deity knew what the Goddesses planned to do, and destroyed their prison. He then turned on Nayru and, after defeating her, turned on Farore. Farore did the only thing she could: she trapped the Fierce Deity inside the Triforce of Courage, for the Fierce Deity still bore that Triforce piece. The Fierce Deity resides to this day trapped in the Triforce of Courage, unable to leave or act. Cursed to forever watch Heroes battle."

Link woke up laying on the ground in the garden, unsure of what happened. Link remembered the voice, but wasn't sure if it was a dream or if it really happened. It didn't really matter, since Link was unaware of any new powers. All he had was a bunch of knowledge about how the Hero of old was corrupted. Not particularly helpful information. Link figured it was time to return to Zelda and tell her what he learned, and to see if she could make any sense of it.

Author's Note:

A look at some more of the Ancient Hero's actions. A bunch of knowledge, but what could it be used for? Does anyone really need to know what happened to the old Hero? Will anyone review and guess what this knowledge could help Link with?


	16. Chapter 16

I really have nothing to say about this chapter. Here it is.

Chapter 16:

Link entered the castle, only to be told by a guard that Zelda and the others were in the library. Link asked why they were in the library, but the guard didn't know. Link followed the long, torch lit hallway immediately to the left of the main entrance that Link knew led to the library. Link walked into the library. The library was huge: walls were lined with bookshelves along with hundreds of others spaced out in the room. In the center of the room was a small area to sit and read in. It consisted of four small plush chairs and a small table. Zelda and Norman were seated around the table, studying some book. Link had no idea where Veronica was, but she was magically bound to him, so she couldn't have gone too far without Link being able to find her.

"So, what are you two doing?" Link asked.

"Oh, hi Link. We were looking through some of these old books to try to find out where to find the rest of the Master Gear. I think that one of them is hidden in Holodrum somewhere, but, knowing the Holodrum king, it's probably part of some machine," Zelda replied.

"Personally I doubt that the king would have been able to enter the chamber that held the piece of Master Gear. I think it's still there," Norman replied.

"After what I had to go through to get the Gauntlets, I'd be willing to bet that Norman's guess is more accurate. Sorry, Zelda," Link said.

"Well, the only way to find out would be for you to go to Holodrum and find the Master whatever," Zelda replied.

"Any idea where I can find it?" Link asked.

"Unfortunately, the Hylian Royal Library contains tons of information about the Triforce and ancient legends, but as for locations of ancient artifacts in foreign countries it has little to offer. We will have to travel there and search through the Holodrum Royal Library," Norman said.

"While you guys are gone, I'll keep searching to see if I can find anything else. Oh, Link, I almost forgot, what did the stone give you?" Zelda asked.

Link told the story he heard to Zelda and Norman. After, Zelda looked puzzled, whereas Norman merely looked intrigued. "Why did Farore decide that her Triforce bearer needed to know about the original Hero's corruption? Is it maybe to strengthen you against corruption?" Zelda asked.

"Perhaps there is more to the story, and by finding other stones you will get the whole story, and then the power will manifest itself. Or, maybe you have a power and just don't realize it yet. Do you feel any power flowing through you that wasn't there before you touched the stone?" Norman asked.

Link shook his head. "Then perhaps the former is the more likely. Did you visit both stones?" Norman asked. Link shook his head again. Norman suggested Link go to the other stone while he and Zelda searched for more details regarding the piece of Master Gear in Holodrum.

Link walked to the Temple of Time, where he saw another stone that bore the insignia of the Triforce on it. Link reached out and touched the stone. His Triforce piece began to glow. Link felt his soul be sucked out of his body. Link experienced the same feeling as he had before. He heard a voice say: "The original Hero, corrupted and trapped, needed to be replaced. A new Hero needed to become the champion of the people, and protect them from evil. The Goddesses chose a young boy who was bitten as a child by a vicious and cursed wolfos. The boy, as a result, contracted lycanthropy, and was rejected by the people of Hyrule. Over time, the boy developed control over his lycanthropy; he was able to freely change from wolf form to human form. The Goddesses chose the boy because he was scorned by the people. They hoped that the scorn of the people would keep the boy humble, and prevent his corruption like the original Hero. The boy grew to be a great Hero, using his lycanthropy to protect the people from numerous evils. The boy was praised for his prowess and deeds. The Goddesses, fearing what he may become, refused to grant him any gifts or power, other than Farore's Triforce piece, the mark of all Heroes. The boy, however, did not possess the arrogance or the ego of the original Hero, and lived his entire life serving his people. The boy utilized his power of lycanthropy often enough that the Triforce of Courage adopted that power. All Heroes since the time of the boy are given the power to transform into a wolf freely. O current Hero, the evil shadow magic that was used before to change you into the blue-eyed beast only did so, rather than leave you as a bodiless soul, because of your Triforce piece and the boy's power. You, O current Hero, have the power to change freely from wolf to Hylian and back to wolf as often as you so desire. And, unlike through the evil shadow magic, this transformation will be painless. Accept this power, and use it for the good of your people."

Link felt his soul return to his body. He walked back to the Royal Library to tell Zelda and Norman what he gained. Link, as he was walking, decided to try to transform. After all, he needed to be familiar with how to use the power. Link focused on transforming into a wolf; and with a little concentration he was able to change. When Link had changed before, with the shadow magic, it felt like his bones were breaking and reforming. When Link changed with the Triforce of Courage it felt like his entire body, including his bones, changed shape without breaking or shifting; as if the new bones were teleported into his body in exchange for the old bones.

Link ran to the castle, much faster than he could as a Hylian, even with the Triforce of Courage enhancing his speed. When Link approached the castle doors a couple of guards jumped and slowly walked towards him, spears raised. Link had forgotten about this part of being a wolf. Link did a wolf spin attack and scared the guards off. As there were screaming and running the opposite direction, Link changed back into Hylian form. Again, there was no pain; merely a feeling that his bones were being teleported. Link walked through the giant, golden doors that led into the castle and walked to the library. Zelda and Norman were still by the table, reading a larger book.

"I'm back," Link announced.

"Hey, so, how did it go?" Zelda asked.

"The stone told me a story about the boy who replaced the original Hero, and then addressed me and told me that within the Triforce of Courage lies the power of lycanthropy. I tested it on the way here, and it works. I can now take the form of a wolf," Link replied.

"Excellent. I believe we've discovered what piece of the Master Gear lies in Holodrum: the Master Helm," Norman replied.

"Alright. Where did Veronica go?" Link asked.

"She said she'd be back in a few hours. Though, that was a few hours ago, so she should be back any minute now. She said something about scouting out Holodrum," Zelda replied. As soon as Zelda finished her sentence, Veronica teleported across the table from Link.

"Link! Holodrum has so much more technology than I thought. They have robots that patrol the borders and record everyone's faces as they cross. If the security drones in the city don't recognize your face from the ones the border guards have recorded, then they attack on sight and try to arrest you. They also have magic detectors that can detect when magic is used. When it is used, alarms go off and thousands of security drones gather and try to arrest you. As a result, I can't teleport us there, only near-ish the general are of the border. Oh, and magic is completely outlawed," Veronica said.

Veronica looked like she was about to pass out, and Link himself felt rather tired. "Alright. Vaati and Ganondorf aren't going to attack with just the two of them. They're going to either attack with an army of monster or try to gather as many mercenaries and thieves and other assorted vagabonds and villains as they can. Since they've both tried to attack with an army of monsters before, each, and were thwarted by me, I'd be willing to bet they won't be attacking with monsters, which should mean that we have quite a bit of time before they finally do attack. And when they do, Vaati, at least, will come after me first. His ego won't let him take the castle and then exterminate me. Plus, Dark Link wants to beat me and me alone, without any help on either of our sides. So, to put my long, verbal thought process into words that affect us all, we have enough time to rest and sleep until we leave. I say we leave at dawn tomorrow," Link said.

"Agreed," Norman said.

"Agreed," Veronica sighed.

Author's note:

It's been a while. Link now has the power to change into a wolf. Please leave a review so I know people are actually reading this story and tell me if you want to see anything in it. Any new Triforce powers, maybe something about Veronica or Norman, anything. Just leave a review and let me know what you want to see, and I'll try to incorporate it into my story. Promise.


	17. Chapter 17

Eh, it's been somewhat recent since last I updated. This marks the beginning of the journey to Holodrum, and since my experience in the two Oracle games is sadly limited, some of the geography and general characters may not be too accurate. In fact, I'd be surprised if they were accurate.

Chapter 17

When Link said dawn, he meant dawn. Veronica and Norman, however, were for some reason under the impression that dawn didn't actually mean dawn, but rather some later time. Link woke up a few minutes before dawn. He quickly scarfed down some food, since castle food was delicious and it was the start of his day. Breakfast was, after all, the most important meal of the day. Link then returned to where Norman was sleeping. He was still sleeping. Link decided that he would use the single most obnoxious way he could think of to wake him up: the sound of a sword banging against a shield. Link hit his sword against his shield, resulting in an irritating and deafening clanging sound. Norman jolted awake with a fright, saying something along the lines of "What the heck was that?"

"Morning. Just for the record, dawn means dawn," Link replied. Norman grumbled and proceeded to stand up and prepare himself for traveling.

Link went into the room Veronica had collapsed in and proceeded to wake her up in a similar manner. Link, wanting a little variety, decided to bang his left Gauntlet against his shield rather than his sword. The sound was just as deafening as the sword and shield, but somehow even more obnoxious. Veronica jolted awake with a wild, panicked look on her face. She looked around, panting heavily, with said look of panic on her face. Her eyes eventually settled on Link, who smiled at her and said "Morning!"

Veronica groaned and tried to go back to sleep. Link shook her and pulled her into a standing position. Veronica groggily staggered, causing Link to feel the need to hold her until she was awake enough to stand up. Veronica then decided that she needed to sneeze, and as a result she teleported herself and Link into the dead center of Gerudo Desert.

Link looked around, trying to find any landmark that might help him figure out where they were in the desert. All he saw was sand. He saw more sand in the other direction, but it looked very similar to the first set of sand he saw, though Link's keen eyes could see slightly different contours amongst some of the dunes. Nevertheless, it did Link absolutely no good in regards to figuring out where he and Veronica were. Veronica at this point had woken up to the point where she could stand, and after looking around for a few seconds, promptly teleported both herself and Link back to Hyrule Castle.

"Sorry," Veronica mumbled. Luckily, Veronica's drowsiness hadn't hampered her ability to teleport back into the room they were previously in. Link walked out of the room, with Veronica walking behind him. Norman was ready to go, and Link decided that Veronica was, too.

"Alright, Veronica, how close to Holodrum can you teleport us without us getting arrested and/or murdered?" Link asked.

"Uh, like twenty miles away? Maybe fifteen..." Veronica replied.

"It would be wise to play it safe and teleport a bit farther away than the bare minimum," Norman said.

"That was the plan, since she said twenty, I say about twenty-five. We can walk that in about twelve hours, at a slow rate. At a quick rate we should be able to make it in about 7 hours. Either way, we should get there before nightfall," Link said. "Well, let's go, teleport away, Veronica."

Veronica teleported to an area just off of the main road, near a random fruit stand. Link checked the map and saw that they were about twenty-seven miles from the marked gate into Holodrum. "Well, you were about two miles off, so maybe another hour of walking," Link said.

"Sorry, but it's hard to teleport so many people. And you don't exactly make teleporting easy, Link. Something about you messes up my teleportation a bit," Veronica replied.

"Probably the Triforce of Courage. It gives me resilience to magic. Though, from what Zelda said, it should offer greater resilience than just slightly messing you up..." Link said.

"Perhaps the reason is because teleportation magic has little affect on the people teleporting. It has some, but not much. It deals mostly with manipulating the world around us to bend time and space, thus allowing incredibly fast movement. The only affect on a person is the moving magic. Perhaps that is what you are immune to, Link, and why Veronica struggles to teleport with you. She has to aim and guide the energy of the world to a far greater extent to teleport you. Normal people can be teleported with relative ease, since the magic affects them and directs them to the destination," Norman explained.

"So, that was a really long way of saying that Link is immune to the magic that focuses our specific location, not the magic that bends the world around us to make it possible?" Veronica asked.

"Yes."

"Okay."

"Now, let's start walking. We may have all day, but I don't want to use it all," Link said.

Link and his group started walking along the road, encountering no travelers at all. Link would normally be worried about the lack of travelers, but he was busy learning Ancient Hylian. "Now, repeat after me: Est nomen meum Link. Ego Fortis, Animi Triforce Auditor et Gladium Gerit Magistri," Veronica said.

"Uh, Est nomen mem Link. Ego Fortis, Animi Triforce Aditor et Gladim Gerit Magistri?" Link repeated.

"Close, but not quite. Try again. Est nomen meum Link. Ego Fortis, Animi Triforce Auditor et Gladium Gerit Magistri," Veronica replied.

" Est nomen meum Link. Ego Fortis, Animi Triforce Auditor et Gladium Gerit Magistri?" Link repeated.

"Good, you got it! Well done!" Veronica replied. Link wasn't too fond of this particular teaching style. Praise shouldn't be given to students who merely do what they should do, only to those who go above and beyond. This pattern continued for about ten hours, when they finally encountered the gate to enter Holodrum.

Before entering, Link pulled Norman aside to ask him something. "This has been bothering me for a few hours now, and I don't know why I didn't think of it earlier, but when I came in to see you and Zelda after touching the first stone you asked me if I felt any new power flowing through my veins. Why weren't you able to see if there was yourself?"

"Simply because the power is from the Triforce of Courage, and the power that the stones give you is more of an ability or technique that you access through the Triforce of Courage. Since the source is the same, I could see no change. It was the same when you gained your lycanthropy; the source of the power was the same, you merely had a new way of using it," Norman replied.

"I see. Sorry, no pun intended. So, you see power as a source or fuel for skills, abilities, and techniques, right?" Link asked.

"Precisely. Now, let us travel to Holodrum."

Author's Note:

Well, I wanted this chapter to be longer, but I figured this would be a good place to stop. Besides, it's time for a reader poll! The way this story is heading it looks like someone in the group needs to become a sorcerer (or sorceress) and since I can only write for three main characters at a time, adding a new person isn't a good option. So, who should become the sorcerer(ess), Veronica or Norman? I have one vote for Veronica already, (shout out to Aerith Gan) and I personally am leaning more towards her, but I want an idea of what my wonderful readers would rather see. So, review or PM me, I don't really care how you do it. I just want answers.


	18. Chapter 18

And now our Hero and his group enter the great country of Holodrum. In case anyone's forgotten. Sorry about the length, or lack thereof.

Chapter 18:

Link and his party passed through the great golden gate to Holodrum. Immediately after the three walked through they were surrounded by a group of strange metal spheres that had glowing lines covering them and floated. One sphere had a small head pop out of the top. It spoke in a monotonous voice, saying "You who enter Holodrum. Speak your names and business. Your pictures have already been recorded."

"I am Link."

"I'm Veronica."

"And I am Norman. We seek after the glorious wealth of knowledge that lies within your grand library."

"Motive unclear. Wealth of knowledge not a registered feature of Holodrum. Repeat your motives," another sphere said, this one without a head.

"We want to go to your library and learn," Link said.

"Motive accepted. Enjoy Holodrum, and refrain from any outlawed activity. Outlawed activities are posted on the large mechaboards along the side of the roads," the first sphere said.

"Th-ah-ah-achoo!" Veronica sneezed. She teleported away, and almost immediately teleported back. Her face was red from embarrassment.

The spheres all started emitting a loud buzzing noise. The lead one said "Magic detected! Magic detected! Magic is a direct violation of article seven of the Holodrum national law! Punishment for such a violation is arrest and imprisonment!" The spheres all transformed into large, metallic looking darknuts with electrically charged swords. The lead one swung its weapon at Veronica. Norman telekinetically threw another darknut at the leader. The leader was hit, though not thrown or knocked back.

The leader said "Resistance detected! Force now authorized! Magic counter activated!" The leader grew a long stick out of its head and started beeping. Link ignored this and tried to cut one of the darknuts in half. His sword bounced off of the metal body.

"I can't cut through these guys! Their metal is too strong!" Link yelled.

"My telekinesis has stopped working, I cannot attack them!" Norman yelled.

"Ah-achoo!" Veronica sneezed. She didn't teleport. "What the? I can't teleport anymore!"

"It must be that metal stick in the leader's head, I bet it's doing something to counteract the magic you two use when you use your powers!" Link shouted. One of the darknuts was about to grab Veronica. Link threw his sword at it, hoping to distract it. The weapon hit. The darknut turned, saw the Master Sword, picked it up, analyzed it, and threw it away. Link thought that the Master Sword would burn it or something, but figured that these things were doing their job, so they weren't inherently evil. Link ran towards the Master Sword, trying to summon it to his hand without much hope of success. To his surprise, the sword flew into his hand, though not as quickly or gracefully as it normally did.

"My powers still work!" Link yelled in surprise. "Their magic counter isn't powerful enough to cancel out the Triforce of Courage!" Link no sooner shouted this when one of the darknuts knocked Veronica out. Link, enraged, ran towards the darknut, sword ready to stab. Link noticed Norman get knocked out by a different darknut. Link stabbed the darknut that knocked out Veronica in the neck, causing it to stop working and crash. The sword thrust also caused Link to get shocked by some electric current that came from the darknut's neck. The shock nearly knocked Link out. Link collapsed on the ground, unable to move. One darknut picked up Veronica, one Norman. Another tried to pick up Link, but Link's Triforce of Courage began to react. His defense mechanism destroyed the darknut in a blast of golden light.

"This one is too much trouble to take to the capital. Leave him in the dirt and take the other two. Our master will deal with them," the leader said. It and the other darknuts left, taking Veronica and Norman with them. Link passed out soon after.

Author's Note: Again, I am truly sorry about the shortness of this chapter. I don't like how short this chapter is, but I thought that this would be a good place to end the chapter. I will do my best not to make the other chapters so obnoxiously short and instead make them obnoxiously long, but I make no promises. I still need people to vote on the group sorcerer; either Norman or Veronica. So far the polls are one vote Veronica no votes Norman.


	19. Chapter 19

Well, in order to make up for the horribly short chapter before, I'm sending out this one the day after the short one. Unfortunately, this chapter is also really short. But necessary to the plot. The next chapter will be much longer, assuming I make it about Link. Which I probably will, but still need that little escape clause in case I need to do something with Norman and Veronica again. Or Zelda. Or one of the villains.

I received a review from a Guest user earlier saying that my story was factually incorrect due to my bringing in Rusl and mentioning different Moblins than the ones in OoT. While I'm definitely not mad, I do feel the need to clarify that this story is NOT based on OoT, or TP, or any one particular LoZ game. I'm trying to use as many as I can in this story, so expect irregularities like those to happen regularly (which I guess wouldn't make them irregularities anymore...).

Chapter 19:

Veronica and Norman both jolted awake. They looked around and found themselves in a jail cell. The iron bars that covered the door were far too close together for either of them to try to squeeze through. Other than a window that was far too small to even see through, there was nothing in the cell. No beds, sinks, toilets, anything. "Veronica, can you teleport us out of here?" Norman asked.

"...No. My powers don't work in here. It's like when we fought those darknuts and one of them canceled out our magic. Except Link's," Veronica replied.

"Yes, it seems that Link is the only one who can fight back. We have no choice but to hope that Link will rescue us," Norman said.

"He promised to protect me from danger. He has to keep his promise; his Triforce piece won't allow him to do otherwise."

"But if you aren't in any danger, what power does this promise have?"

"I guess none. But he also promised that if I ever left he would hunt me down and find me. He's bound to that promise, too."

"But you didn't leave, you were kidnapped. Arrested. Imprisoned."

"Do you have to ruin everything?!" Veronica shouted.

"I am merely being reasonable. The Hero, I am sure, will not leave us to rot in this prison cell. However, it would be foolish to rely on magicks that have no effect in this situation. We should try and find a way out of this prison ourselves, if we can," Norman replied.

"Sorry, boy, couldn't 'elp but overhear." A lanky man with a ridiculously large mustache came around the corner. He wore a gray jumpsuit and was twirling a ring of keys around his finger. "In order to get out, ya need one of me keys. And you ain't getting 'em. And as for your so-called 'Hero,' well, he can't save you if he doesn't know where you are. And from what I've 'eard it sounds like you, girlie," the man pointed at Veronica "are magically bonded to him somehow. But, if I 'eard correctly, his bond only applies if you run away from 'im or are in danger. So, ya didn't run from 'im, nor are we gonna let you get in any danger. At least, not now. But 'im," the man pointed to Norman "we can 'urt. So, that's what we'll do. In one week, you will be beggin' for death, boy!"

Veronica squealed. "Shuddup, you!" the man yelled. He continued to glare at Veronica, making her very uncomfortable. "Though, now that I get a good look at you, yer an awful pretty one, ain't ya. Come 'ere, let's get a better look at ya!" The man opened the cell door, grabbed Veronica and pulled her out of the cell, and closed the cell door, quickly locking it before Norman had the chance to do anything. He pulled Veronica close to him and tilted her face up towards his face. Veronica tried not to breathe; he smelled horrible and musty. But, she had to breathe at some point, and unfortunately for her she chose her nose. The smell was so strong that it tickled her nose and made her feel like she had to sneeze. She tried not to, simply because she doubted the man who held her would appreciate being sneezed on, but she couldn't. She sneezed right into the man's face.

"Yeagh!" The man let go of Veronica and wiped his face off. Veronica sneezed twice more into her hands. The man growled and grabbed her by her hair. She yelped in pain. "Now yer gonna pay!" the man roared. "Nobody sneezes on Zark and gets away with it! Now we'll see how powerful the Hero's promise really is!" Zark slapped Veronica across the face twice. He let go of her hair and threw her to the ground, kicking her in the side. Veronica yelped again. Tears were streaming down her face. Norman could do nothing but watch in horror as she was senselessly beaten. Eventually, Zark got tired of beating Veronica and threw her back in the cell. Again, he was too fast for Norman to do anything. Even so, Norman had only Veronica and her beating on his mind. He knelt beside her and tried to do something for her. She wasn't bleeding, but she was bruised and hurt.

"Well, now, looks like your Hero's promise don't mean a thing! Or maybe he's too far away to do anything, or he might even be dead! Ahahahaha!" Zark walked away, laughing maniacally.

"Don't worry; Link will find us. He will protect you. His promise may not apply now since he cannot do anything to protect you where he is, but he will find us. And he isn't dead. I know that for a fact," Norman said soothingly. After a few minutes, Veronica cried herself to sleep.

Author's Note:

That chapter was almost painful to write. I chose not to be more graphic about the types of beatings and tortures Zark put Veronica through simply because I don't relish in the torture of the innocent. I relish in justice. So, hopefully I did a good job of making Zark as detestable as possible so when Link beats him (and, come on, we all know it'll happen sooner or later; you don't put despicable characters in a story if the Hero never gets a shot at them) we'll all cheer and be ecstatic.

On another note, I got another review regarding a sorcerer. As of right now, Veronica two, Norman zero. More votes, please. There's a good bit of time before any sorcerer-ing happens.


	20. Chapter 20

This chapter is longer than the last couple, and it focuses on Link.

Chapter 20:

Link woke up in a dark room, on a hard wood floor. He looked around and saw old wooden walls, a small wooden stool by an old wooden table with a candle on it. In the stool sat a man wearing rags for clothes, and the man looked as though he hadn't bathed or shaved in at least three years. Despite this, however, the brown-haired man looked no older than twenty-eight. He seemed to be a twenty-eight year old man with a large and scruffy beard. And really long, dirty hair. "Good, you're awake. I was worried you might not wake up; you took a serious blow to the head," the dirty man said.

"Who are you? Where am I? What's going on?" Link asked.

"Shall I assume you want you questions answered in order? The first answer is Alvin. My name is Alvin, and I'm the leader of the resistance. Second answer, you are currently in one of the secret resistance bunkers, which are scattered across Holodrum. And as for your third question, perhaps you can tell me. I found you unconscious on the ground near the border. Care to explain?" Alvin seemed friendly enough, but Link could tell that Alvin didn't trust him.

"I just wanted to go to the Holodrum library. There's some knowledge that I think is in Holodrum's library that Hyrule completely lacks," Link replied.

"That doesn't explain why you were unconscious by the border."

"Almost as soon as we entered Holodrum one of my companions... unintentionally used magic and drew the attention of the sphere things. The sphere things turned into darknuts and attacked us after we resisted arrest. They knocked me out, took my friends, and left me on the road. Then I woke up here," Link said. "Now, why did those sphere things attack us?"

"I assume you're referring to the security drones. If they detect any amount of active magic, they arrest. The king has banned magic and poured all of Holodrum's research into technology and machinery in an attempt to outdo Labrynna. The king cannot use magic, nor can most of the people of Holodrum, so he focused solely on technology. Over the years, he became consumed with greed and paranoia; he now thinks that all magic users, sorcerers or otherwise, are spies sent from the Labrynna queen to sabotage Holodrum. As a result, he imprisons anyone caught using magic," Alvin replied.

"Wait, you said active magic; wouldn't spies from Labrynna refrain from using magic if they were to infiltrate Holodrum?"

Alvin snorted. "You've clearly never been to Labrynna. Those wimps can't even wipe their noses without using magic; there's no way a spy would survive in Holodrum without using magic."

"I see. What happens to me now?" Link asked.

Alvin thought about it for a minute. "Your friends were arrested." It was more a statement than a question, nevertheless, Link replied and said yes.

"I have a feeling you're going to want to get them out of prison, and judging by the two security drones I saw near you, one of which was blasted to pieces, I'd say you'd be pretty useful in a fight. Tell you what, you join up with me and the resistance and help us dethrone the king, and I'll help you get your friends back. What do you say?" Alvin put his hand out.

"Why can't we rescue my friends first?" Link challenged.

"They're magic users, so they'd be extremely easy for the king to track down. As it is, we're taking a risk asking you, since you have what looks like the sword used by the old Hero to take out General Onox. That sword is in Hyrule now, and Hyrule is known for its magical knowledge. Not as much as Labrynna, but still well known. That makes you stand out, which could work to our benefit, but your friends wouldn't just stand out; they'd practically send a giant beacon to the king. That would be counter productive, so we'll just leave your friends in prison for now. Once the king is overthrown, your friends will be safely released," Alvin said.

"Why do you want to overthrow the king? If so few of you are magic users, what benefit does it do you to stop the magic user abuse?" Link asked.

"In his effort to use machines to outdo Labrynna, the king has abused and tortured his people. We have been forced to work for little pay in factories; hot, crowded, unsafe factories. We are practically his slaves, and if one of us shows signs of slowing progress, we are imprisoned. Any attempts at rebellion are treated with execution, even refusing to do an incredibly dangerous job. We need someone who works for the people, who serves the people, not a tyrant," Alvin replied.

Alvin stared at Link, waiting for an answer. Link thought for a minute. He could probably free Veronica and Norman on his own, but then they would be wanted and the entire land of Holodrum would be looking for them. It would make searching for the Master Helm more difficult, but if he were to find the helm first, he could break them out and flee the country. "If you're thinking about breaking them out, forget about it. Magic users are sent to the highest security prisons in the land. There are machines there to counteract magical energy and inhibit their powers. They also have tons of security drones that can be activated by a single push of a button. On top of all of that, each prison has a force of ten of the highest ranked soldiers and a cruel warden, the nicest of which would torture you for hours before finally killing you if you are caught in the perimeters of the prison," Alvin said. That particular information crushes any hope Link had of breaking Norman and Veronica out of prison.

Link thought of a question, and cruel and brutal as it was, he couldn't help asking it. "Why are magic users kept in prison? Wouldn't it be easier just to kill them?"

"Magic users are kept imprisoned so they can be studied and have their magic powers mechanically duplicated. The king has several FM5 Drones, or fire mage drones, developed and is hoping to create more versatile drones," Alvin replied. "Now, are you in, or are you out?"

Link thought for another moment. "I'm in," he finally replied.

"Excellent. Now, we need to test your skills. Since you have a sword, I'm assuming you can use it. I plan to test how effectively you can do so. Prepare yourself," Alvin said. Alvin drew a long, plain sword from a sheath at his side that Link hadn't noticed before. The sword was long, but slightly shorter than the Master Sword. This gave Link a slight advantage, though not enough of one to really make a difference. Link also had the power of the Triforce of Courage coursing through his veins, granting him speed and strength beyond that of other Hylians, such as Alvin.

Link drew his sword, thinking of the best way to defeat Alvin. Link decided not to use his full strength and speed, as doing so would not allow him to exercise his skill, and opted on what he was taught about swordplay as a child. Link quickly lunged towards Alvin's ribs, only to feint and swing towards Alvin's shin. Alvin leaned to the left to avoid the lunge, only to have his eyes widen in shock as Link performed the feint. Alvin jumped over the sword at the last minute, swinging his sword in an overhand manner towards Link's right shoulder. Link easily deflected the blow, and nicked Alvin in the ribs with a counterattack. Alvin's eyes widened once again in surprise as the sword pierced his skin. Alvin tried a basic feint; he swung at Link's right shoulder only to quickly move the sword to the left side, aiming for Link's ribs. Link easily blocked this by with his shield. Link was able to see Alvin move, and it seemed so slow to him, that he was able to easily anticipate Alvin's moves. The look on Alvin's face right before he performed the feint blatantly said that he was about to go for the left. The look on Alvin's face when Link blocked the sword was one of shock and disbelief. Alvin decided to try a more aggressive approach: he began wildly swinging his sword at Link, desperately trying to hurt him. Link ducked, swerved, sidestepped, and evaded each swing, only using the Master Sword to block at the last second. Link swung up his sword into Alvin's sword and sent it flying into the air. The blade embedded itself into the ceiling, where it stayed, quivering. Alvin looked shocked at this defeat, and said nothing.

"So, did I pass?" Link eventually asked.

"I should certainly think so. I'm the leader of the resistance because of my brains, brawn, and skill, yet you have so effortlessly beaten me. I must admit, I am very impressed. Your swordsmanship is incredible; you definitely passed. Welcome to the resistance," Alvin replied.

Alvin led Link around the resistance halls, leading him through a rather dark and metal underground fortress. Link was shown the kitchen, sleeping area, planning area, and the "relaxing" area. There were many members, most of whom greeted Alvin enthusiastically as he passed, similar to the way Link was treated in Hyrule. Most of the members were women and children, and all of them wore either rags or tattered, filthy clothes. None of them were particularly healthy looking, nor did they seem well fed. However, they were alive. After Alvin showed Link the area, he requested that Link attend a meeting that was to be held a half an hour later. Link agreed to attend and Alvin told him to do whatever he wanted until then.

Link spent his free time talking to the refugees. They all had their homes either destroyed or confiscated by the king, due to family members not working hard enough. The Holodrum king was seen as a tyrant by the people, though the old hero of Holodrum supposedly set up a democracy after defeating General Onox. The people all wanted to be free from the king's tyrannical rule, though not necessarily a democracy again. The people all wanted a king, just a good one rather than an evil one.

The time came for Link to meet with Alvin in the planning area. Link went into the room, which contained a large round table with a map of Holodrum on it. Link saw Alvin and a round eared human man. Now that Link thought about it, most of the refugees he met were round eared humans. Alvin was the only other Hylian he met. Link walked in, only to see the round eared man walk out. Link gave Alvin a questioning look, who merely replied by saying "It seems the third member of this meeting is unable to make it. She knows what I'm about to tell you, so she won't be missing much. We have recently found the factory where the king has been constructing his magic drones. We plan to infiltrate this base and destroy it. There are three sections within this base: the left wing, the right wing, and the central factory. I will be infiltrating the central factory, Maria, our third member, will infiltrate the right wing. This leaves you with the left wing, which is the wing responsible for security and defense. Inside there is a huge battle drone, which monitors the other drones that patrol the central factory and other wing. Our original plan was for me to infiltrate the left wing, but you have me so badly outclassed as a warrior that I thought you would be better suited for the task. Maria's wing is responsible for programming the drones regarding who they take orders from. She will reprogram the drones to take orders from me, rather than the king. Once this factory is taken over, we will be able to get the whole army gathered together for a final assault against the king and his castle. You joined at a good time; we're very close to victory. And with your help I think we can get it. Do you understand what to do?" Alvin explained.

"Yes, but what can I expect inside the factory?" Link asked.

"The king set it up similar to a Hyrulian dungeon, so hopefully you've seen one of those," Alvin said.

Link noticed the irony and hid a grin. Link agreed to do whatever was needed of him. "Alright, Maria will meet us at the factory. Are you ready to go now?" Alvin asked.

Link replied, saying yes, and he and Alvin left for the factory. The factory was located about twenty miles north of the base, which was ten miles east of the border Link was found. When Alvin and Link arrived they met with a young, red haired woman. She was fairly tall, and skinny, like most of the refugees. She was dirty, but other than that she was fairly attractive. She, like Alvin, wore rags. She also, however, had a single piece of leather armor covering her torso. She held a large knife in one hand and a short sword in the other. The knife had a button on the bottom, though Link had no idea what this button did. Alvin greeter her and she replied. She then turned to look at Link and said, "Who's he?" Her voice sounded tough, but also gentle. She sounded like she was once kind and gentle, but her trials and suffering as a refugee hardened her.

"This is Link. He is here to help us. He'll be taking the left wing for me," Alvin replied.

"The left wing? Are you sure? Is he up to it?" the woman asked.

"Yes, Maria, he is. He easily beat me in a sword battle, without breaking a sweat or even once looking concerned," Alvin replied.

Maria looked shocked at that, though she said nothing in return. Alvin merely said "Is everyone ready?" Link and Maria both said that they were, and the three entered their respective areas of the factory.

Author's Note:

This is a longer chapter than the last couple, but it took longer to release. So, on top of the sorcerer poll (which, by the way, Veronica is winning, though if anyone else wants to vote there's still time) I'm adding another poll. As you guys have probably guessed, the factory will count as a dungeon. And, like all dungeons, this one will have an item in it for the Hero to find and use. I've already decided on a ranged weapon of some sort, but I can't decide between a gun or a high-tech bow (it is Holodrum after all), so my question to you, readers, is this: should Link find a gun or a bow in the factory? And if it is a gun, what kind? Handgun, rifle, shotgun (please, no), sniper, what? And if it is a high-tech bow, what fancy features should it have?


	21. Chapter 21

Since I want more time with the dungeon chapter, and at least three votes on what weapon Link should find (1 vote for the bow so far) I'm adding this smaller chapter to post something. Either the next chapter or the chapter after that will be the dungeon. This chapter focuses on the villains, mostly on Vaati and Morticae. Sorry about the shortness.

Chapter 21:

Morticae was walking into the central hall of the beaten down Gerudo fortress that Ganondorf uncovered for use as a base. Ganondorf was in Holodrum, "negotiating" with the king of Holodrum for battle drones. The current plan was to build an army, an army far greater than before. Morticae was supposed to make a legion of bokoblins and moblins, which he would lead in battle. Dark Link and a group of about a hundred mercenaries were another part of the army. The battle drones would have their own robotic commander designed to obey Ganondorf and Vaati. Vaati and Ganondorf themselves would lead the army by the generals, Morticae and Dark Link, and oversee the overall battle. They themselves would only fight if either the fighting got to them, or if the Hero challenged them. Fighting common soldiers was beneath them, though Ganondorf had said that he was going to slaughter the soldiers if the battle took too long. On top of all that preparation, Vaati and Ganondorf were also trying to resurrect some old enemies and villains. General Onox and Veran were top on the list.

Morticae's thinking was ruined by Vaati storming into the central hall. "Morticae!" Vaati yelled.

Morticae sighed. Once, a long time ago, he wouldn't have been yelled for like that. But now, he he had to tolerate it. "Yes, Master?" Morticae asked.

"The Hero is in Holodrum! I have reason to believe that he is after the Master gear spoken of in legends," Vaati said.

"The gear used to combat that great and terrible evil of the day? The evil the Original Hero used?" Morticae asked.

"Yes, that gear. Ganondorf is in Holodrum, and I have contacted him. We have our army to worry about, but the Holodrum king can be warned of a 'civil insurrectionist who wishes to dethrone the king' and act accordingly," Vaati answered. "Now, how is your army?"

"Master, I need more power; the amount of bokoblins alone that you want me to create consumes much of what little I have, let alone moblins." This was a complete lie; Morticae already had the requested number of bokoblins and most of the moblins. The only reason he was short a few moblins was due to a lack of room to put them. Thanks to the Jewel of Marsterin Morticae was able to create ten times the amount of bokoblins with the same amount of power. And with the Jewel of Armastan he was able to replenish the power he had consumed making the army. However, Morticae needed a ton of power for what he had planned.

"Very well, I grant you this power. Use it well," Vaati gave Morticae a large amount of power. Morticae graciously accepted the power.

"Master, I also need more room to keep the legion. Perhaps you could grant me more of the desert to use?" Morticae asked.

"Very well, take what you need. We have no need for the desert lands northward, so use that area."

"Thank you, Master. And now, Master, I will take my leave, if you will permit it," Morticae said.

"Very well. Go your way," Vaati replied. It was an old custom, but Morticae knew that Vaati enjoyed it, since it gave him power over another.

Morticae went to the room where the Jewel of Armastan was stored. Morticae sucked out as much power as he dared from the Jewel. Vaati and Ganondorf were sensitive to the magic around them, but their own high levels of magic, and the fact that they were preoccupied, cut down their senses, making it so that they didn't notice the Jewel's power. However, Morticae figured that if he took too much power from the Jewel, then they might notice the sudden drop and begin investigating. Morticae would then lose his Jewel, and maybe even be questioned about the Jewel of Marsterin. Morticae needed power, but he was not so desperate as to risk losing his fairly limitless power supply to accelerate his plans. He needed time, cunning, precision, care, and power. Tons and tons of power. After all, how else was he supposed to bring down a Goddess?

Author's Note:

Well, we now know what Morticae's planning. He wants to bring down a Goddess, anyone want to guess which one or why he wants to bring down a Goddess? Or what he plans on doing with her once he does bring her down? Or if he even can bring a Goddess down? And, as before, I'm still looking for people to vote on the bow or the gun next chapter. So far it's one vote bow. I want at least three votes before I post the dungeon chapter, and I'd rather they be from users rather than guests, though I'm not too picky about that. I just prefer having the option of sending a PM to someone who reviews to say something or ask something. Anyway, that's my rant for the day. And don't forget, the sorcerer poll is still open. So far, Veronica is winning by several votes.


	22. Chapter 22

As of right now, there is one vote for the bow, and the peripheral is a scope. The next chapter will be the dungeon chapter unless something I think should happen first comes to my mind, though this is unlikely. So, this is likely the last chapter to vote for the dungeon weapon, though the sorcerer poll is still standing and will be for a good while. Now, on to story!

Chapter 22:

Veronica whimpered quietly. This was the third time that day that Zark had beaten her. She was tired, hurt, weak, scared, and angry. She was normally a rather calm, if not a bit jumpy, girl. But Zark really ticked her off. Likely because he was so crude and abusive. Normally her fear held her anger in check, but with Zark her anger was growing every time she saw him. She almost wanted to attack him next time he tried to hurt her. She told this to Norman, but he disagreed.

"Fighting when angry is never a good plan. Yes, you will be far more aggressive, ferocious, frightening, and powerful but you will also become less controlled and skilled, leading to many mistakes. Using anger as a fuel to fight is just as dangerous to you as it is to the one you are attacking, unless you can learn how to channel your anger, like Link."

"What do you mean by channel anger like Link?" Veronica asked.

"When Link fights he keeps his cool, however I have seen him get angry while fighting, and I have seen him really lose it once, but he usually manages to keep his anger in check, using it only to strengthen his blows. I do not know how he does it, but it impresses me greatly. He gains the perks of anger without suffering the deficits. Except when he loses it, but I've only seen that happen once," Norman replied.

"How do you know so much about Link?" Veronica asked.

"I was in Hyrule for a long time. I am actually one of the few who got to see Link fight during the Twilight War. I saw him lose it against a large moblin, I believe it was a leader, who had beaten and abused a child who had done nothing. The moblin nearly killed the poor child before Link finally lost it. In that moment, Link was so terrifying that, once the first moblin was dead, the rest of the moblin army, and it was a large army, threw down their weapons and fled for their lives. It was the most terrifying and most incredible thing I have ever seen," Norman replied.

"Why isn't Link here now? He promised to protect me, and I'm not protected right now," Veronica asked.

"Like I said before, I do not believe that his Triforce piece bound him to protect you but rather to protect you to the best of his ability. The best of his ability right now is finding you, and I have no doubt that that is what he is doing. But until he gets here, the promise he made through the Triforce's magic has no power," Norman explained.

Veronica opened her mouth to say something, but then a stench washed over her, making her gag. She turned around and saw Zark, standing outside the cell door. "Well, ain't this a touchin' moment. Now, 'ow about we 'ave some fun, eh missy?"

Veronica squealed and retreated into the corner, terrified by his cruel smile and malicious look in his eyes. Zark opened the cell door and slowly walked towards Veronica. She tried to retreat further, but her back was up against the corner. Zark kept walking toward her. Veronica looked at Norman, whose face was virtually inscrutable. Zark reached Veronica, and he then backhanded Veronica. Veronica squealed as his hand made contact. Veronica then braced herself for another impact, but it never came. Instead she heard Zark grunt in shock. Veronica opened her eyes and saw Norman on Zark's back, holding him in a choke hold. Zark rammed his back into a wall, dislodging Norman. He then turned to Norman and punched Norman in the face. He reared up for another punch, but was stopped when Veronica kicked him in the small of his back. Zark staggered forward. He turned around and grabbed Veronica by the throat. Norman stood up, blood streaming from his broken nose, and body slammed Zark in the side. Zark released his grip on Veronica's throat and fell to the ground. Zark quickly got up, but Norman tackled him back down to the ground. Norman then lifted Zark up and threw him out the cell door. Norman tossed Veronica a small key, then threw the ring at Zark. Zark picked up the keys, stood up, shut the door, and locked it, muttering to himself about how stupid Norman and Veronica were. Zark then left, likely to treat his wounds.

"I thought you said never to attack in anger?" Veronica asked.

"I did not attack in anger, but rather in compassion. I refused to allow him to hurt you any more. Hold on to that key; it unlocks this cell," Norman replied.

"Then how did he lock the door?"

"All of the keys were the same. He had a ton of the same key. I suspect that that key unlocks everything in this prison."

"Well, that was kinda stupid of him. Now we can get out!" Veronica said.

"Keep your voice down. Yes, we can get out. But we need to wait until Zark's guard is down, otherwise we'll get caught," Norman replied.

"Yeah, but if we can shut down the anti-magic thing then I can teleport us out. We can find Link and help him find his thing," Veronica replied.

Norman agreed, and he and Veronica decided to bide their time, waiting until it was the optimal time to escape.

Author's Note: Well, that was a rather enjoyable chapter to write. Like I said at the beginning, the next chapter will most likely be the dungeon chapter. So, I still need votes for the dungeon weapon. Sorcerer poll is still standing, but it's less immediate than the dungeon weapon poll. So, help me out. I kind of need something.


	23. Chapter 23

Alright, here it is. The dungeon chapter. Since the only feedback I got for the weapon was a bow with a scope, that's what it will be. This particular dungeon is going to be really short, especially compared to other dungeons. Sorry about that, but there was only so much I could think of to put in a Holodrum security wing of a factory.

Chapter 23:

Link walked into what looked like the Goron's Mines. There was lava and chain everywhere; the only major difference Link noticed was the machinery. There were machines everywhere. Strange claw contraptions, rotating fans, and so many other types of machines that Link couldn't even begin to comprehend what was what. Alvin said that the wing Link was in was responsible for security, so Link expected a lot of guards. What Link saw so far had disappointed him. Link pulled out a map of the factory that Alvin had given him. The left wing consisted of only four rooms. The central room that Link was in, a small room on each side of the central room, and a larger room in the back. There was only one floor, so Link had a strong feeling that the security drone was in the back room. He looked across the room and saw a huge lock on it; which confirmed Link's suspicions. Link looked around and saw that of the two other doors, only one was open. Link had to jump across lava pits on moving chained structures to make it across, but he did make it to the side door. The door, upon closer inspection, was rather plain. A basic metal door. Link grabbed the handle, then yelped out in pain. The handle was extremely hot. Link then saw a large red crystal above the door. Link was just able to strike it with his sword. When he did so, a machine a few feet to Link's left activated, filling a jar with water. Link walked over to the jar, lifted it, and took it to the door. He figured that the likelihood of the water being for the door was high, so he poured the water onto the door. It sizzled, and Link opened it.

Inside was a fairly small room with a chain floor and lava underneath. Some lava then shot up from three different places. It quickly died down, however. Link walked a little further into the room, and the familiar sound of iron bars closing over the door filled the air. Link pulled out his sword and shield, knowing already that some kind of fight was in store for him. A very large mechanical darknut fell from the sky. Link was tempted to look up to see where that thing fell down from, but resisted the urge. He didn't have enough time to look. The mechanical darknut, or mechanut as Link decided to call it, roared and swung its sword. Link blocked the sword and thrust his sword where a normal darknut would have an armor weakness. The mechanut just had electricity running in that gap, giving Link a nasty electric shock. Link shook it off; he had experienced worse than that. Link thought for a minute. How could he hurt this thing when all its openings zapped him? Upon closer inspection Link realized that the mechanut did take damage from his attack. Link thought about playing a game of masochism, but quickly decided against it. Besides, he wasn't a masochist, he just had the pain tolerance of one. The lava spurted again. Then Link got an idea. He led the mechanut to one of the lava spurts. He then waited and blocked until the lava shot out again. The lava melted some of the mechanut's armor, and dealt some damage. Link baited it to the second lava spurt; this thing was smart enough not to stand in the way of the other lava spurt again. Again Link waited until the lava shot out from the pool below. Again, the mechanut took damage and lost some of its armor. Link tried again with the third lava spurt, but the mechanut knew better than to stand still as Link stood in one place. When the lava nearly shot out from the ground the mechanut jumped towards Link, sword raised. Link just barely managed to get his shield up in time to save him from decapitation, but the force of the impact sent him flying. Link got up, an idea forming in his mind. He walked onto the third lava spurt and waited. Again, as the lava was about to spurt the mechanut jumped towards Link. Link, who was expecting this kind of a move, jumped back, and the mechanut was blasted by the lava spurt in midair. The force of the lava knocked the mechanut back, causing to to hit the ground hard. The force of the impact knocked what little armor remained on the mechanut off, along with a few other red hot body parts. Link saw a large, glowing red circle in the center of the mechanut's chest. Link walked towards the mechanut and quickly thrust his sword into the red spot. Link was half expecting another shock, but was pleasantly surprised. Link heard a chest hit the ground behind him. Link looked at the chest and the mechanut, somewhat confused. Normally monsters dissipated into purple smoke and chests appeared in a flash of light. Then Link remembered that he was in Holodrum. Magic was a big no-no in Holodrum.

Link opened the chest to find a very fancy looking bow and a quiver. The bow used normal arrows, but came with a little lens thing on the side, where he would normally aim. Link peeked through the lens and saw that it magnified his vision, allowing him to see things that were normally much farther away. Link saw a red crystal high up on a ledge. He shot it, noticing how much more powerful this bow felt than any he had previously owned. The arrow struck the crystal, causing the door to open behind him.

Link went back to the main room and looked around. There was another door across the room, but that door was completely isolated from everything else. Link saw a red crystal just above the door. He shot at it, causing a bridge to rise up from the lava below. He ran across the bridge, thinking that that was a bit too easy. He entered into the next room and saw a chest in the center. Link looked around cautiously. He saw nothing. No traps, no monsters, the door didn't even lock itself. Link opened the chest and about fifty tiny flying circles flew out to attack him. Link cut about thirty of them rather easily. The last twenty flew into the air, and took turns diving into him. Link destroyed another fifteen, but the remaining five decided to shoot lasers at him rather than attack him by bombardment. Link pulled out his bow and shot them all down. Link looked in the chest again, wondering how so many could fit in such a tiny space, and saw the big key and enough arrows to refill his quiver.

Link left the room and went back to the main room. The locked door was extremely easy to reach. Link did so and walked into the last room.

Inside the room there were a bunch of screens. Link looked at one of them and saw an image of some other part of the factory. In front of the screens was a huge mechanical warrior. The warrior turned around, and Link saw three red circles on its body. It roared and attacked. Link rolled out of the way of its massive hammer. Link shot an arrow at one of the red spots. It went dark and the warrior screamed in pain. It attacked again, and Link again rolled out of the way, shooting another red circle in the process. Link frowned as the warrior repeated the exact same tactic. The mechanut was way smarter than this thing, why was this thing in charge of major defense? Link repeated his previous actions, only this time the warrior fell down. A red crystal rose out of its back, and Link proceeded to slash it. The crystal retreated back into the creature's back, and the warrior got back up. It pulled out a sword and swung it after it smashed the hammer down. Link now had to roll and duck before shooting. Link kept following the monotony, eventually knocking the warrior down again. Link again attacked the red crystal that came out of its back. The warrior stood up once more. This time after its sword slash it shot flames from some random part of its body. Link again shot the three red circles, again causing the creature to fall, and he again attacked the red crystal. This time, however, the crystal shattered, causing the creature to lose all of its glowing lights. Link figured this meant it was dead, and looked at the monitors. In one he saw Alvin fighting off a small swarm of the little sphere things. In another he saw Maria fighting what looked to be a smaller mechanut that the one Link had fought. There was a table in front of Link with a bunch of buttons. Link saw one button that was labeled "Kill all security." Link pushed the button and saw the robot things both die before the monitors shut down. Link was told to stay in the security wing until the light on the wall began to flash red. Link quickly located the light, and decided to stay put until it started flashing red.

Author's Note:

Well, there you have it. The Holodrum dungeon. Pretty impressive, right? What, with the overly simply and predictable boss, and only four rooms with almost no puzzles. Man, those Holodrum people really know how to make a dungeon. So, please feel free to leave a review. And don't forget, the sorcerer poll is still up.


	24. Chapter 24

Well, the lack of reviews is somewhat disturbing, but here's another chapter despite that. This particular chapter is kind of a flashback from Link during Ganondorf's reign. Link doesn't really have anything better to do at the moment, since he's waiting for Alvin to take over the factory.

Chapter 24:

Link, while waiting, thought back to his most recent big battle. It was five years ago, during the reign of Ganondorf. Link had the Master Sword, and was ready to face Ganondorf. He knew of a resistance against the wicked, self-proclaimed king, and was expecting them to keep Ganondorf's army busy while he overthrew the evil usurper. The resistance was located in Kakariko Village, and that was Link's destination. He was going to tell the resistance that he had everything he needed to stop the Prince of Darkness. What he saw when he arrived at the village horrified him.

Ganondorf's entire army was there, slaughtering the villagers. The members of the resistance were fighting, but they were so badly outnumbered. For every one moblin that was slain, another three took its place. Link grit his teeth in rage. He used that anger to give himself power and began slaughtering the moblins. He fought through what was almost literally a sea of moblins, watching them drop dead and disintegrating left and right. He cut a path to the center where he met Renado and Rusl. "What happened?" he asked.

"They attacked a few hours ago. There seems to be no end to them, and we're running out of fighters. We desperately need you, Link!" Rusl replied. Link only grunted in reply and cut a bokoblin in half. Rusl leapt back into the fray, prepared to fight to the death. Link continued slaughtering his enemies, left and right, when out of the corner of his eye he saw a small child, hiding in a corner. A large moblin, one that looked like the leader, stopped and turned to look at the kid. In a vicious grin the massive moblin walked up to the kid and began brutally beating him with a club. Link, after having watched o much death and pain already, lost it at that sight. Link normally controlled his anger very well, but the sight of that moblin brutally beating a defenseless, innocent kid set him off. Link was beyond angry; he was furious. He entered a fierce rage that would frighten even the Fierce Deity. Link roared in anger and pain and charged the moblin. Moblins weren't known for their intelligence, but rather for their ferocity and fearlessness. However, at the sight of the rage driven hero, the moblin leader froze in sheer terror. Link stabbed the moblin, then slashed it, then slashed again, continually mutilating the moblin, even long after it fell dead.

After Link had finally stopped attacking the moblin, after the moblin disintegrated into purple smoke, the entire village, moblin and Hylian alike, had ceased fighting and were all watching Link. Link turned to the crowd of moblins and, with a scream of pure fury, sprinted towards them, cutting down every moblin, bokoblin, and any other monster unfortunate enough to cross his path. The entire army turned and fled at the sight of the rage driven hero. Link pursued them until the very last creature had fled from the village. Link turned around and slowly calmed himself down. He looked around and saw looks of awe and pure terror on the faces of the remaining villagers. He also saw many dead, bloodied bodies laying on the ground. He saw many monsters disintegrate into purple smoke and vanish. Link decided that day that he would never, ever turn his back on the people of Hyrule, no matter the cost. He would readily give his life if it meant ensuring the safety of one citizen. He decided that from then on, he would give those people everything.

Author's Note:

The lack of reviews saddens me. It also slows me down in my writing of the chapters. I'm sure most of you have noticed how much shorter this chapter is than most chapters. I feel like, for whatever reason, either I'm writing better for my Charmed FanFiction, or this FanFiction is just unpopular. Any reviews would be greatly appreciated, as they help me write better and write faster.


	25. Chapter 25

How long has it been since I last updated this story? I lost track. It's been a while, that's for sure. Well, if anyone's still reading this story, here's another chapter.

Chapter 25:

Norman and Veronica were waiting for the right moment to break out of their prison. Veronica still had the key; she stored it at the bottom of her shoe. She and Norman had agreed to wait a few hours before trying anything. That few hours had come. "Come, let us escape this cursed prison," Norman said.

Veronica took out the key and quickly unlocked the door. She hid the key back in her shoe, just in case they needed it again. "What should we do now?" Veronica asked Norman.

Norman hushed her, warning her to whisper, and replied "Now we need to find whatever is keeping the magic from working and shut it down."

"Any idea where something like that might be?" Veronica asked.

"Either at the top of the building or at the bottom," Norman replied.

"Okay. Where to first?"

Norman wandered around the dark, dank room outside the cell. Eventually he came across a window. He looked out the window into the barren landscape outside. The room they were in was on the fourth floor of the prison. From what Norman could see, the prison was five or six stories high. "We start with the top," Norman said.

Norman and Veronica worked their way to the top of the prison. They encountered few guards along the way. The ones they did encounter were easy enough to avoid. Save for one, who Norman had to knock out and hide the unconscious body. Norman took advantage of the guard's incapacity and took his sword. Norman had no idea how to use a sword, but he figured it would be more dangerous than his fists. The prison itself was consistent with the cell room; dark, dank, and depressing. There were few torches to light the darkness, and the windows were small and allowed little light to pass through.

They reached the top of the building and found three doors. Norman listened behind the first door and heard a loud humming noise. Figuring that was some kind of machine, Norman gestured for Veronica to open unlock the door. Veronica pulled the key out from her sock and unlocked the door. Behind the door was a large machine. The machine glowed with a red energy and had a red aura of power around it. The actual machine was nothing more than a steel dome with a large, red crystal mounted on top. The crystal was the part that glowed, bathing the rest of the room in a red, ethereal light.

"That must be the machine that's killing all the magic," Veronica said.

"Indeed. Now, all we need to do is shut it down," Norman said.

"How?"

"Well, we could remove the crystal. It seems to be the power supply," Norman replied. Norman stepped towards the machine and grabbed the crystal. As soon as he touched the crystal, it sent jolts of electricity through him. Norman leapt back in pain.

"Do not touch the crystal," Norman said.

"Got it," Veronica replied. Norman walked around the base of the machine, looking for a switch or something. He found nothing.

"Maybe if you shoved the sword in it?" Veronica suggested. Norman shrugged. It was worth a shot; after all, it wasn't like they could really do anything else. Norman picked up the sword and thrust it into the machine as hard as he could. The blade bounced off the machine, not leaving even a scratch. Norman just paused and looked at the sword for a minute. There wasn't anything special about the sword; it was identical to the ones that soldiers in Hyrule used.

Norman looked up from the sword and at the crystal. He got an idea. Norman thrust the sword as hard as he could into the crystal. The sword pierced through the crystal, shattering it. Norman could feel his power returning to him. Of course, that could have just been the electric shock he had received when he shattered the crystal. Veronica looked energized, too.

"Hey, I think it-" Veronica was cut off by a snarl. Norman and Veronica turned around and saw Zark standing behind them.

"So, you two did manage tah git out. Can't say I'm all that surprised, considerin' 'ow you assaulted me before," Zark said.

Veronica took a step back. "We shattered the thing!" she said. Norman shook his head. The poor girl didn't get how unintimidating that sounded.

"Yeah, you broke the generator, to be sure. But don' think fer a second that'll keep me from attackin' you. After all, you ow me," Zark said. Zark drew his sword and ran towards Veronica. She flinched and teleported away.

"So, little missy can teleport, eh? Now, this should be fun!" Zark turned around and ran towards Norman. Norman telekinetically lifted Zark off the ground.

"What the-?" Zark exclaimed. Norman slammed him into a wall, knocking him out. Veronica teleported back into the room a few moments after.

"Come on, we need to find Link," Norman said.

Veronica, however, refused to leave. "There are other people here, Norman. We can't just leave them here to rot," Veronica said.

"They likely have magic," Norman said. "They can probably free themselves."

"But some of them might not! Who's going to help them if we refuse?"

Norman paused for a moment. "Fine, we'll help. But we have to be fast; we have no idea what's happened to Link since we were captured."

Veronica squealed in joy and ran off to unlock the other cell doors. Most of the prisoners weren't even very powerful magicians. Most could only summon a small wind or conjure a weak flame. Only a select handful possessed any real power at all, and even they weren't that impressive compared to Hyrule's mages. All of the prisoners were gathered together in the mess hall. Luckily, with the generator down and Zark out, most of the guards didn't give much of a fight. A few did, but they were easily dealt with.

One of the prisoners, one of the more powerful in the group, came up to Norman and Veronica. "On behalf of all of us, thank you for rescuing us," the prisoner, a man in his thirties, said.

"It's no problem," Veronica said.

"I am curious, though, to know how the generator worked. How did it cancel the magic?" Norman asked.

"Zark once told me that the machine emits a wavelength opposite the wavelength magicians use to create magic. By filling the area with that wavelength, any attempts at magic were immediately neutralized," the prisoner replied.

"Why imprison people who have magic?" Veronica asked.

"The king possesses no magic of his own, nor does anyone he trusts. As a result, he banned magic to prevent anyone from claiming the throne for themselves. He began building all these machines to counter the magic, so he wouldn't be at a disadvantage if he ever crossed paths with a magician," the prisoner replied.

"Right, you're people used to practice magic, too," Norman said.

"Back during the days of General Onox, yes, we did. General Onox himself was a rather powerful magician, though he always seemed to prefer the use of metal weaponry over magic," the prisoner replied. "If there is anything at all we can do for you, please, just say the word."

"Thank you, but we really need to find our other companion. We have no idea what happened to him after we were captured," Norman said.

"He was probably taken either by the resistance if he evaded capture or he was taken to a common prison if he possessed no magic," the prisoner replied.

"Where can we find this resistance?" Norman asked.

"I don't know. They usually find you," the prisoner said.

"Hm. Well, thank you for your help, but we really must be going now," Norman said.

"Bye," Veronica said. Veronica grabbed Norman's arm and teleported them both away.

Author's Note:

I would really appreciate a review if anyone is still reading this story. My last update was so long ago I'm not sure if anyone even remembers this story.


	26. Chapter 26

Yeah, see, the lack of reviews means I think people aren't reading this story. Luckily, FanFiction has this fancy new thing that lets me see visitors to each chapter of my story, so I know people at least visited the chapter. I still want to know if people are actually enjoying the story, though.

Chapter 26:

Ganondorf and Dark Link were in Holodrum. The king wasn't expecting them, but then again, Ganondorf never did bother with announcing his visits. Ganondorf was just inside Holodrum's borders when he got the message from Vaati. "The Hero is in Holodrum, and I believe he is searching for the legendary Master Gear. Be on you guard," the message said.

The message, sent by arcane methods, drew the attention of several strange metal sphere things. "Magic detected. Magic detected. Come quietly, resistance is futile," one of the spheres said.

Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. He had known that magic wasn't well received in Holodrum, but he hadn't known it was illegal and warranted arrest. Ganondorf turned to Dark Link. "Do you want to go to prison?" he asked.

Dark Link shook his head. "Not particularly," he said.

"Resistance detected. Resistance detected. Initiating battle mode," the sphere said. The sphere and each of its companions transformed into large, mechanical darknuts. Each darknut held a sword that was flowing with electricity.

The lead darknut had some kind of antennae sticking out of its head. The darknut said "Initiating anti-magic waves. All magic is now nullified."

"Not the Hero's magic," Dark Link said. "His Triforce piece was unaffected by these things."

"How can you possibly know that?" Ganondorf said.

"I'm the Hero's shadow. I know a lot of things about the Hero. You could say we're connected, in a way," Dark Link said.

"Really? Can you use this connection to your advantage?" Ganondorf asked.

"Against the Hero? No, he has it, too. Though, I've been around magic much more than he has, so I doubt he's fully aware of it," Dark Link replied. "However, against these things, that connection has its use."

"Well, if the Triforce of Courage is unaffected by this anti-magic device, then my Triforce piece should be as well," Ganondorf said. Ganondorf tried to conjure a ball of dark magic. Nothing happened. He frowned at his hand. Dark Link raised an eyebrow. Ganondorf concentrated on building his magic. A weak ball of dark energy formed in his hand. The ball sputtered and flickered weakly. Ganondorf threw it at at the lead darknut in disgust. The magic hit the darknut, causing it to stagger back.

"Attack detected! Attack detected! Engage the enemy! Engage the enemy!" the darknut screeched.

"Blasted mechanuts," Dark Link muttered.

"Blasted what?" Ganondorf asked.

"That's what the Hero calls these things; mechanuts," Dark Link replied. Dark Link drew the Usurper Sword from its sheath. One of the mechanuts attacked Dark Link. Dark Link deftly jumped out of the way and slashed at an exposed area behind the mechanut's head. As soon as the sword struck, a jolt of electricity arched down the sword and shocked Dark Link.

"Gah!" Dark Link grunted in pain. "Don't cut into these things!"

Ganondorf grunted in acknowledgment. One of the mechanuts rushed at Ganondorf, electrically charged sword raised. Ganondorf jumped in the air over the mechanut. He landed behind it and grabbed the arm of the mechanut in front of him. Using the arm of the other mechanut, he thrust the electric sword of the one into the back of the other. The electricity sparked dangerously in the air as the two mechanuts were electrocuted and exploded. Including the one Dark Link had slashed, which seemed to no longer be functioning, there were two mechanuts left.

Dark Link used Ganondorf's method against one of the mechanuts, albeit with a twist. The one that ceased functioning still had its sword, and although the sword no longer had an electrical current, it was still a sharp blade. Dark Link took the sword of the dead mechanut and threw it at the two other mechanuts. They seemed to be attempting some kind of primitive straight line battle formation. Dark Link threw the sword with enough force to penetrate both of the mechanuts' armor and caused both of them to explode.

"Why didn't your magic work?" Dark Link asked.

"I don't know," Ganondorf said. He tried to create another ball of darkness. This time, a he was able to easily generate a powerful ball of darkness. Ganondorf threw it at one of the broken mechanuts.

"Well, at least we know it was that device," Dark Link said. "And not some weird loss of power."

Ganondorf grunted. "Come on, we have a king to threaten," he said.

Ganondorf and Dark Link encountered no further problems as they traveled through Holodrum. Ganondorf didn't use any magic, as another fight with those mechanuts would be extremely annoying. Holodrum was a truly desolate land. There were nothing but factories and mud huts as far as the eye could see. The land was barren and caked dry. There were no animals, and Ganondorf had no idea how these people were able to live in such a desolate wasteland.

Eventually they arrived at a huge, ornate, highly decorated palace. The palace walls were made of some kind of copper colored stone, or perhaps they were made of actual copper. There was a tall spire at each of the four corners of the keep. There were mechanical ballistae spaced out on the ramparts. Ganondorf was certain that those ballistae would attack only on command, so he walked up to the giant castle gate and spoke to one of the guards.

"I would like to request an audience with your king," Ganondorf said.

"No audience without an invitation," the guard said.

"I have a very prosperous business proposal to make, one that could make Holodrum as powerful as Labrynna, or even Hyrule," Ganondorf said.

"No audience without an invitation," the guard repeated. "You can appeal for an invitation, and in the next six to eight months the king may grace you with an answer. Until then, I suggest you wait."

Dark Link, faster than any normal eye could see, drew his sword and had it pressed against the guard's throat. "The king will see us," Dark Link hissed. "Or you will lose your head."

The guard swallowed. "Uh, y-yes, of course. Right away. Open the gate!" the guard shouted. The gate shuddered and began to lower. "Enjoy your visit," the guard said.

Dark Link stepped back and sheathed his sword. He gave the guard a feral grin. "Thank you," he said.

Ganondorf and Dark Link walked into the castle. The inside was just as ornate as the outside. There were tapestries lining the walls, each depicting either a large darknut or an older man with graying hair and a large beard. Ganondorf and Dark Link walked up to the throne and saw that the man in the tapestries was, in fact, the king. The king sat on his large, golden throne. He wore a large, red robe and a jeweled golden crown. He held in his hand a jeweled scepter made of some kind of metal. The king looked at Ganondorf and Dark Link as they approached him.

"Who dares to approach the king?" the king asked in a deep, booming voice.

"Greetings, your majesty. I am Ganondorf, King of the Gerudo. This is Dark Link, Shadow of the Hero of Hyrule. We have come to make a proposal to you," Ganondorf said.

"Guards! Throw out these Hylian intruders!" the king yelled. "Don't bother trying to resist. There's no magic here, Hylians."

A group of about ten guards came running into the throne room. Each guard wore a helmet and breastplate and held either a sword or a lance. Two came up to Ganondorf. "Sir, we're going to have to ask you to come with us," one of the guards said. Ganondorf raised an eyebrow. The guard made a move to grab Ganondorf by the arm. Ganondorf grabbed the guard's arm and threw him into the other guard. The two guards hit the wall and made a horrible crunching noise. Both fell to the ground, dead. The rest of the guards moved towards Ganondorf. Dark Link had drawn his sword and had cut down three of the guards before the rest noticed anything. The remaining five guards looked to where Dark Link had cut down the guards and saw the carnage and pools of blood where their fallen comrades were. They all paled visibly and hesitated. "Don't just stand there!" the king shouted. "Stop them!"

The five remaining guards approached Dark Link, each with his weapon drawn. Two of them, one with a sword and one with a lance, rushed him, hoping to take Dark Link by surprise. Their hope was in vain. Dark Link disarmed both guards and killed them in four seconds flat. The blood splattered against the remaining three guards, but somehow Dark Link and the Usurper Sword remained spotless. The last three guards instead rushed at Ganondorf, hoping he would prove easier to take. They were sorely mistaken. Ganondorf had killed all three guards with their own weapons in five seconds, flat.

"You certainly took your time," Dark Link said.

"It's more fun to watch the expressions of pure horror cross their faces as their own weapons pierce their lungs, drowning them in their own blood, rather than just killing them and being done with it," Ganondorf said.

The king just stared, mouth open. "Those were my finest guards, and you two killed all ten of them," the king muttered.

"Perhaps now you'd be willing to listen to our proposition?" Dark Link asked.

"Why should I do that? You've invaded my home, killed my finest guards, and stained the walls with their blood. What reason have I to listen to you?" the king asked.

"Other than to save your own hide?" Dark Link asked.

"Because we can make Holodrum the most powerful country in the world," Ganondorf said. "Greater even than Hyrule."

The king thought for a moment. "I'm listening," he said.

Ganondorf smiled. "We propose an alliance. You supply our army with your machines. In exchange, we'll give you the land of Hyrule. All of Hyrule's green pastures and lush forests will be owned by the Holodrum kingdom. All of Hyrule will be yours," Ganondorf said.

"And what of Labrynna? They will not sit idly by while Holodrum grows more powerful," the king said.

"They won't have a choice. After you have Hyrule, you'll have more than enough manpower to destroy Labrynna," Dark Link said. "Now, do we have a deal?"

The king thought for a minute. "We have a deal. I will send to you five hundred of my strongest machines. You will have them in one month's time," the king said.

"Thank you," Ganondorf said. He and Dark Link turned around to leave. Ganondorf stopped and said, almost as an afterthought, "Oh, and be on the lookout for a Hylian known as Link. He looks like a lighter version of my associate, and also wields a sword. He is a dangerous insurrectionist who is plotting to overthrow you." Ganondorf and Dark Link left the castle, their mission a success.

Ganondorf left the castle and walked in the direction of a small village in the distance, away from Hyrule. "Where are we going?" Dark Link asked.

"There's an ancient sage hiding in Holodrum. He knows more about magic than any other being alive. I think it's time I paid him a visit," Ganondorf said.

"Why is there a sage hiding in Holodrum? Magic isn't exactly popular here," Dark Link asked.

"Exactly. He's in hiding. His knowledge is so vast that, if he had gone anywhere else, he would find no peace," Ganondorf said. "He's here because no one here will pester him about magic."

"I see. What makes you think he's going to see you?" Dark Link asked.

"Because he has no choice," Ganondorf replied.

The two arrived in the village. The village was small; it contained only three buildings. The buildings were wooden huts hat looked as if they would fall over if someone breathed too heavily. Ganondorf walked into the farthest one. Dark Link followed. Inside was a man, sitting on the ground. The inside of the hut was completely barren. The man was old, in fact, Dark Link wouldn't have been surprised if the man was as old as Hyrule itself. He had a long beard that completely covered him up, making it impossible to tell what he looked like.

The man looked up. "So, you've come. I suppose it would be sooner or later," he said.

The man sniffed the air. "I smell very dark magic. You," the man said, looking at Dark Link. "What is that weapon you hold?"

"The Usurper Sword, the Sword of Evil's Boon," Ganondorf said. "It was once the Four Sword, until I made it into an opposite to the Master Sword."

The old man laughed. Though, it sounded more like coughing to Dark Link. "You think you created the evil in that blade? Oh, Ganondorf, you merely revived it. That weapon was evil long before it was ever the Four Sword," the old man said.

"What are you talking about?" Ganondorf asked. "I created that weapon out of a sword the Hero used! How can it have been evil?"

"That blade was once the very sword the Demon King Demise used against Hylia's Chosen Hero," the man said.

"The Original Hero," Dark Link muttered.

"Even older than him. Hylia's Hero was the very first Hero of the People, but he was not chosen by Farore. The Original Hero was the first Hero chosen by Farore, the first to bear the Triforce of Courage. But he wasn't the first to fight evil, nor was he the first to use the Master Sword in battle," the man said.

"Whatever, we're not here for a history lesson," Ganondorf said. "Why didn't my magic work when the Hero's did?"

"I assume you mean while under the influence of he king's magic negating devices. Why, the answer is very simple. The king's devices have no affect on Sacred magic," the man said.

"What? Sacred magic?" Dark Link asked.

"Yes, Sacred magic. There are several types of magic, as I'm sure you know. There's Elemental magic, which covers most types. There's Umbra magic, which covers Light, Dark, and Shadow magics, and then there's Sacred magic, which is only usable by those chosen of the gods," the man said.

"How is Sacred magic unaffected by the king's machines while Umbra and Elemental are?" Ganondorf asked.

"Umbra and Elemental magics are very similar. Similar enough that the same waves can cancel them both out. Sacred magic, from what I've been able to study, works in a very unique way. It doesn't generate waves that then manipulate the forces of the world. It commands the forces of the world to bend to its will, and the forces willingly and gladly comply," the man said.

"That still doesn't tell me why the Hero's Triforce piece uses Sacred magic when mine does not," Ganondorf asked.

"You had magic before you received the Triforce of Power, correct?" the man asked.

Ganondorf nodded. "Dark magic, yes," he said.

"As I thought. You have other magic to draw from, and are trained to draw from it. Link has only his Triforce piece, so whenever he draws magic, that is where it comes from," the man said.

"I have used the Triforce of Power for magic before, that is always where I draw my power from," Ganondorf argued.

"No, you draw from its ability to multiply your strength and power, but you still rely on your Dark magic. You do not use the pure, Sacred magic within your Triforce piece," the man said.

Ganondorf was silent for a minute. "How do I draw from the Sacred magic within?" Ganondorf asked.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that. Using a piece of the Triforce is nothing like anything else, and I myself have never held a Triforce piece," the man answered. "All I can say is this: you are not the only one to possess a relic that grants Sacred magic. You are also not the only one who does not access that Sacred magic. The Princess and Vaati both possess artifacts that grant Sacred magic, yet neither of them use it. The Princess uses Light magic, and some Shadow. Vaati uses Wind magic."

Ganondorf growled and stormed out of the hut. Dark Link hurried to follow. The man sighed. "Such incredible power, and all of it wasted on him."

Author's Note:

How did you like this chapter? Someone, please, say something about it. Even if it's as simple as "Yeah, it was okay. Whatever." I want some kind of feedback, after all, that's the whole purpose of the review button.


	27. Chapter 27

To answer guest Hero Of Life's questions, 1: Zelda lacks personality because I was younger and a horrible writer when I wrote her and Dark Link has so much because I was a much better (though still pretty bad) writer when I wrote him in. And as the story continues to progress, I'll likely get less and less horrible as I gain more experience writing and reading. My writing for Zelda was awful, and I didn't really know how to write personality back then. Dark Link came much later, after I had gotten less horrible and learned how to write personality, so Dark Link got one. I still am not very good, but hopefully I'll get good with practice. I'm definitely improving. And I really need to go back and rewrite those early chapters. I may even have to rewrite the entire story if I want to make it even remotely good.

2: Link has not used any of his items because he didn't have any when he set out on his journey. I, being the wonderful writer I was back then (insert sarcastic tone here, since there's no sarcastic font), forgot to mention that important detail and as a result you get confusion. Sorry, again, I really need to fix those earlier chapters.

3: Epona is not in this story because I didn't see a way for Link to use Epona with two fully sized human companions. I didn't see how three people could fit on one horse, nor did I think of any way for Veronica and Norman to keep up when Link was on Epona. Epona is, after all, one insanely fast horse. It'd be hard for Norman and Veronica to keep up.

So, after one final apology (at least, in this chapter) for how awful my writing was earlier, and another apology for writing such a long author's note, I'll let you read the chapter. (For the record, that sentence was the apologies. No more are coming).

Chapter 27:

Link saw the red light flash before he heard the alarm. He knew what to do. Alvin had told him that when the red light began flashing, Link needed to escape. Link quickly ran back through the factory, past all the machinery, and outside. He, Maria, and Alvin had decided to meet at the point right outside the entrance to the central factory. Maria was already there, but Alvin was nowhere to be seen. Link figured that was likely due to the size of the central factory.

Maria turned as she saw Link running towards her. She raised her eyebrows in shock. "How'd you get here so fast?" she asked.

"The security wing isn't very big. It took maybe thirty minutes to completely clear it," Link said.

"Impressive. I've infiltrated the security wing before. It was ridiculous how dangerous it was," Maria said.

Link frowned. If that was their idea of dangerous, Link was beginning to understand why they were ruled by such a weak king. Still, he had to help these people. He was a Hero; it was his duty.

Alvin didn't take very long to exit the central factory. He met up with Link and Maria. "We've got to go, now!" he said.

"Why? What went wrong?" Maria asked.

Alvin turned around. "That!" he said, pointing to a large figure. As the hulking figure came closer Link was able to see that it was like the mechanical warrior that Link had fought as a boss to the security wing. Only larger.

"I thought I shut down all the security?" Link asked.

"You did. That thing isn't security; it's in charge of the facility," Alvin replied. "Don't try to fight it, just run!"

Link, despite his instinct to fight, followed suit and ran. He was much faster than Alvin and Maria, so he decided to run ahead a bit, turn around, and try to slow the giant warrior down by shooting arrows at it. The giant warrior had similar glowing spheres on it as the one Link had fought, so Link aimed at those. This warrior, however, had five, and made efforts to avoid or block the arrows. Link kept using his tactic of running then shooting until he ran out of arrows. "I'm out of arrows," Link said as he began running in sync with Alvin and Maria.

"It shouldn't matter. We planned for something like this to happen. Once we pass that tree," Alvin pointed to a tree in the distance, "we'll be safe."

"Why? What does the tree mean?" Link asked.

"It means that tree has a device that shuts down these machine things in it. I don't know how it works; one of our engineers made it," Alvin said.

"Alvin," Maria panted. "Did you finish what you set out to do?"

"Yes," Alvin answered. "The central processing unit is destroyed. That's how I got that thing's attention." Alvin and Maria kept talking for a while about the factory and a bunch of tech stuff that Link didn't understand.

After a few more seconds of running the three of them made it to the tree. Alvin and Maria were completely out of breath, but Link was fine. Alvin turned to look at Link. "What are you?" he asked.

"How much do you know about Hyrule?" Link asked.

"Very little. The king doesn't allow any outside information enter Holodrum. In fact, most people here don't even realize that what the king's doing is wrong. They think it's normal, because they have nothing else to compare his rule to," Alvin said.

"Then how do you?" Link asked.

"I met a traveler from Hyrule once. He spoke of a wondrous land where the people were ruled by a kind, benevolent ruler who gave more of herself than she expected the people to give of her and an incredibly powerful and brave hero who defended the land from evil," Alvin said. "I wanted to give Holodrum a chance to live like Hyrule."

"And I told him it was a bunch of fairytale nonsense," Maria said. "But I joined because the king murdered my family in cold blood."

Link was shocked to hear that. "Why?" he asked.

Maria shrugged. "I don't know. I was a little girl at the time, so I really don't know what my parents did."

The warrior had made it to the tree. As soon as it stepped near it, Link guessed about ten feet from the tree, sparks started flying from it. The machine made a zapping sound and fell over, all lights dark. "It's done," Alvin said. "This thing is dead."

Something beeped from Alvin's pocket. Alvin pulled out a small rectangular device. "It's the general. The army has gathered and they're beginning their assault on the castle. Come on, we're needed," Alvin said. He put the device back in his pocket and started walking north.

Maria followed. Link asked "How far is the castle?"

Alvin stopped and turned around. "It's just over the hill," Alvin said, pointing in front of him.

Link looked at the "hill." It looked like a completely ordinary barren field. Link could see no distinguishing features to mark it as a hill. "How can tell that's a hill?" Link asked.

Alvin looked confused. "It just is a hill... I don't know how we can tell. I guess because been here long enough to know what a hill looks like?" Alvin said. "Why, do hills not look like this in Hyrule?"

"In Hyrule, hills actually look elevated," Link said.

"So does this," Alvin said.

"How?" Link asked.

"I don't know. I guess it's just about perspective," Alvin said. "Anyway, we're wasting time. This is a hill, and the castle is just over it. Come on, Link. We need you."

Link followed Alvin and Maria as they walked over the "hill." Once they were over the hill Link saw a huge, ornate, highly decorated palace made of some kind of copper colored stone, or perhaps actual copper. There was a tall spire at each of the four corners of the keep. There were mechanical ballistae spaced out on the ramparts. Outside the castle walls was a small army of people and a considerably larger army fighting them. The large army belonged to the Holodrum army, notable by the shiny armor and the large flags that bore the Holodrum insignia on them. The resistance army was smaller, but seemed to be holding its ground.

"They seem to be doing fairly well," Maria commented.

"Yes, but they need something to give them an edge. Just little push," Alvin said.

"And that push would be us," Maria said with a feral grin. She and Alvin rushed into battle. Link, however, didn't see enemies when he looked at the Holodrum army. He saw people. People, who felt and lived just as he did. People, who had families and loved ones. Link knew he had to fight. He had no choice if he wanted to get the Master Helm. And he needed the Master Helm if he was to protect his people, protect his home from the tyranny of Vaati and Ganondorf. Link made a decision. He had to fight, but he didn't have to kill anyone. He could incapacitate, but he refused to kill. Link transformed into a wolf. He felt his body change form as he began to morph. He though about how that would likely draw the attention from some of those security drones that detected magic, but he didn't really care. Besides, there was a good chance those drones were preoccupied with the battle.

Link changed. He ran, faster than he ever could as in Hylian form, at the Holodrum army. He tackled soldiers to the ground, torn their legs, causing them to collapse, biting their arms, preventing them from attacking, and scaring off as many soldiers as he could. The Holodrum army was weak. Link alone was able to scare off or otherwise injure at least a third of it. No wonder Holodrum never made any attempts to invade Hyrule. Link's ferocity along with the fighting of the Resistance army eventually defeated the forces of the Holodrum army. Link changed back into Hylian form. Alvin approached him. "I didn't know you could do that," Alvin said.

"It's just part of the job description," Link said. "Just a little perk I get for being the Hero of Hyrule."

Alvin's eyes widened. He opened his mouth to say something when they heard the king's voice. "Stop at once! I am your king!" he shouted from on top of the castle.

"You have enslaved and tormented your people! What kind of king allows such suffering? What king would treat his own people as if they were expendable! What are we to you? A means to an end?" Alvin replied.

"You are nothing! I am the king, I alone was chosen to rule you! And now you dare deny me? Cease this fighting at once!"

"Or what?" Alvin asked.

"Or," the king pulled out a knife and lifted a young child up for everyone to see, "this little boy will die! Cease this fighting, or I will shred the boy into pieces, making his death slow and as painful as possible!"

Alvin's eyes grew wide at the sight of the child. "My brother," he whispered. "Enough!" he yelled. "Stand down!"

The Resistance army obeyed. They all dropped their weapons. The castle gates opened and several large bronze spheres rolled out of it. They all surrounded the Resistance army and transformed into what looked like metal wizzrobes, or wizzmechs, as Link decided to call them. Link was outside the circle. The wizzmechs seemed to have missed him.

The king pulled out a device that sparked with electricity. He laughed and held it up to the child. The child screamed in pain. The king laughed even louder. He barked an order that Link didn't understand. The wizzmechs did, however. They all raised their arms and shot electricity from them. The electricity hit some of the army and arched into the rest. The king laughed even louder. Link clenched his fists in rage. He was getting angry, truly angry, like the time the moblin leader had beaten the kid. Collin. This man was crueler than any moblin Link had ever fought, and the king was supposed to have thoughts and feelings. Link couldn't stand aside and watch the torture. It was infuriating.

Veronica had teleported to the scene of the battle. She saw Link, whose Triforce mark was glowing brightly. "Norman?" Veronica asked. "Is it just me, or is Link kind of... glowing?"

Norma turned to look at Link, and almost immediately groaned in pain and looked away, covering his eyes. "What's wrong?" Veronica asked.

* * *

><p>"His power, it's blindingly bright," Norman groaned. Veronica turned back towards Link. Link began to change. He grew larger, his hair turned white. His tunic turned a light blue color and he gained some kind of blue armor. His eyes turned white and his face took on tribal markings, though of what tribe Veronica had no idea. This other Link tossed the Master Sword aside and conjured a double helix blade. He gripped the blade with two hands and swung it experimentally.<p>

* * *

><p>Link was gone. No longer was there a Link. He was the Fierce Deity, and he was going to cleanse the world of all evil.<p>

Author's Note:

Hopefully this chapter isn't too bad. I'm always going to ask for reviews, so please leave me one. I still have the sorcerer poll going, so far it's one vote Norman, three for Veronica. If anyone cares, this is the link to the picture of the Fierce Deity I used to describe the way he looks in this story: /File:Fierce_Deity_


	28. Chapter 28

Alright, I'm getting reviews! Awesome! Thank you for reading this story, and especially to those who leave a review! Good things happen to those who review.

Chapter 28:

The king turned towards the Deity. All the king saw was magic; what else was happening didn't matter to the king. He saw magic, and he was intent on capturing the magic. The king pressed a button on his scepter. A large, round machine rolled out of the castle. It stopped shortly outside the gate. It had an antennae on it. This device was designed to cancel out magic. The king pressed another button, turning the machine on. The Deity was unaffected.

The king shouted at the wizzmechs to attack the Deity. They all moved towards him, shooting lightning as they went. The Deity held up a hand and caught all of the lightning. The Deity then drew his arm back and thrust it forward, shooting bright white lightning from his hand. It hit the first few wizzmechs, destroying them instantly. The Deity suddenly appeared behind all the wizzmechs, sword held out as if he had just swung it. All the wizzmechs were cut in pieces. The Deity had moved so quickly that no one saw him move. The king barked another word and a horde of mechanuts stormed out of the castle. The Deity rolled his eyes and growled. There were literally thousands of mechanuts, but the Deity stormed into the horde anyway. Veronica was watching. Norman wasn't looking at the Deity; it's power was far too bright. Veronica could see scraps of metal flying by as the Deity fought through the horde. Periodically she saw flashes of blindingly white lightning and occasionally odd silver colored energy discs.

Within two minutes the Deity had turned the entire mechanut horde into scrap metal. The Deity turned towards the king and swung his sword at him. A silver disc of energy was shot from the sword, destroying the platform the king was standing on. The king, and the child, too, fell. The Deity caught both of them, tossed the child to the ground, though not violently, and continued holding the king.

"You are guilty," the Deity said. His voice was deep, far deeper than Link's. It also echoed, as if there were more voices behind it speaking at the same time. "You have been a scourge to this nation, a curse to this people. And now, you shall pay!"

The Deity threw the king to the ground. The force of the impact left a crater in the ground, but the king survived. The king quickly drew a knife from his belt and threw it at the Deity. The Deity caught it by the blade between his index and middle finger. The Deity raised an eyebrow. "This is the best you can throw at me? I defeated Din herself! Now, die!" the Deity raised his arm as if to throw the knife. However, right before the Deity released the blade, he stopped. His eyes grew wide and he gasped out "No! Not again!" The Deity began shrinking, his white hair turning blonde, his white eyes turning blue, and his clothing changed back into the green tunic Link always wore. The Deity had changed back into Link. Link dropped the knife and collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

The king stood up, walked over to Link, picked up the knife, and was about to stab Link with it. However, right before he was about to move the knife, an arrow knocked it out of his hand. The king looked into the no longer threatened crowd. One man held a bow, and it was pointed straight at the king. Another man, their leader, the king presumed, stepped forward. "We have defeated your army, and now you are the only one left. Will you surrender, or die on the battlefield?" he asked.

"I surrender!" The king exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air. The leader walked up to the king and looked at him.

He turned around towards the people and shouted "This man has killed and tortured thousands of his own people! He has imprisoned those who possess magic, and forced the rest to slave away in factories! What shall his punishment be? Death or lifelong imprisonment?" Alvin asked.

"Death!" the crowd roared back.

Alvin turned towards the king. "The people, your people, have spoken. You are to be executed for your crimes after we gain control of this kingdom. Until then, may you rot in the dungeons," Alvin said. He gestured for two large men to grab the king by his arms and haul him to the castle's dungeons.

Alvin turned again towards the people. "We have won a great victory here today! We have defeated the evil king that has oppressed us for so long! Today, we take the kingdom and make it into a kingdom that serves its people! Today, we move towards greatness!" Alvin said. The crowd cheered.

Veronica and Norman ran up to see if Link was alright. He was still breathing, and seemed okay other than the obvious fact that he was unconscious. Alvin walked up to them. "Who are you two?" he asked, though not unkindly.

"We are Link's friends. We traveled with him here, but we were separated when we were imprisoned for the use of magic," Norman replied.

"Wait, you broke out of a mage prison? How?" Alvin asked.

"The warden enjoyed tormenting Veronica, and during one of his torture sessions I attacked him and managed to wrestle a key from him. We were able to use it to escape our cell and shut down the machine that canceled our magic," Norman explained.

"What about after that? How did you get away from the prison?" Alvin asked. Veronica sneezed and teleported away. She reappeared a moment later, blushing slightly. "Oh, that's how," Alvin said.

Alvin turned towards Link. "Is he going to be okay?" Alvin asked.

"He seems to just be unconscious. I believe he will wake up soon," Norman said.

"Well, let's at least move him to a bed," Alvin said.

"I got it," Veronica said. Veronica grabbed Link's arm and teleported him into the castle infirmary. She wasn't too far off; only a few rooms off. She had to teleport back and get Norman to help her carry Link. He was heavy. Norman and Veronica gently laid Link down in a bed and sat down, both tired from the events of that day.

* * *

><p>Link was not resting while unconscious. Someone, or rather something, was speaking to him. "Salutem, Heros de Fortissime," an unknown voice spoke.<p>

Link sighed. "I'm trying to learn the ancient Hylian language, but I don't speak it yet. Who are you?" Link asked.

"I am the spirit of the Triforce of Courage," the voice replied.

"What spirit?" Link asked.

"Essentially, I am the Triforce of Courage. I am able to speak with you because you are my holder. You are the goddess Farore's chosen vessel for her piece of the Triforce," the spirit replied.

"Okay, I don't really know what you're talking about, but I'll play along," Link said.

"It is sufficient to know that I am the Triforce of Courage, and that I am speaking with you now," the spirit said.

"Um, okay," Link said. "Why are you speaking to me?"

"You have just released the Fierce Deity," the spirit said.

"Wait, he's out?" Link asked. "I-I swear I didn't mean for him to get out! I don't even know how he got out."

"You released him, but he is still imprisoned within me," the spirit said. "You released him only for a short while. You body can only handle channeling that much raw power for a short time before it gives out. When your body gave out from exhaustion, the Deity returned to me. He is here, even now."

As if on cue the Fierce Deity appeared in Link's vision. "You blasted Hero! Your pathetic and weak body gave out just before I was about to deliver justice!" he shouted.

"The Deity is here, but he no longer controls you," the spirit replied. The Deity faded from Link's vision.

"How did he get out in the first place?" Link asked.

"You know the story of the Deity, correct?" the spirit asked.

Then Link realized he knew the voice. It was the same voice he heard when he touched the Triforce stones that told him about his Triforce of Courage powers. "I do," Link said. "The Original Hero, after vanquishing the great evil of his time, was rewarded with incredible power. The power went to his head and he went crazy. The goddesses tried to stop him, but he beat Din and Nayru, so Farore used her power to lock him in her Triforce piece, the Triforce of Courage."

"That is correct," the spirit said. "And since he is in me, and you bear me, and can use my powers, you have the ability to access the Deity and channel his incredible power."

"I had no control over how I accessed him," Link said. "I just got so angry that I lost it."

"When you learned of the Fierce Deity's origins, you gained the ability to access his power, but you were not told how to do this because Farore never intended for the Deity to be free. You are only being told this now, after you have already accessed his power, in the hopes that you will be able to control your transformations," the spirit replied.

"Will he control me?" Link asked.

"When you access his power, yes. You surrender your free will to him, as well as the ability to return to your self. He will be free to do as he wishes, and you will not regain control of your body until it has lost the energy to continue sustaining him," the spirit said.

"Why would I ever use his power if it gives me no control?" Link asked.

"That is the mindset you must have to bear this great burden. The Deity possesses enough power to defeat any of the Golden Goddesses alone; he possesses more than enough power to defeat any of your foes," the spirit replied.

"But if I have no control, then how can I be sure he's going to fight my enemies?" Link asked.

"The Deity was consumed by power and a desire for what he believes to be justice. He desires to punish the guilty, and as a Hero any who oppose you are guilty of some evil," the spirit said. "The Deity will be compelled to fight them. And he uses your body, some of you desires will manifest in him; mainly the desires to defeat your foes."

"So, basically, he beats my enemies, then does whatever he wants?" Link asked.

"Until your body runs out of energy to sustain his power," the spirit replied.

"So, I ask again, why should I ever use his power?" Link asked.

"You shouldn't," the spirit replied. "unless it is absolutely necessary. If it comes to a choice between failure or using his power, then you may choose to use his power."

Link was silent for a minute. "For how long?" Link asked.

"Your body can only sustain the Deity for five minutes, at full strength," the spirit said.

"And how long until he breaks free from the Triforce of Courage? I will not be the one responsible for unleashing him upon this world," Link stated.

"He cannot break free. I am as much a part of him now as he is of me. He cannot exist without me," the spirit said. "If he ever does become free, it will be because it is the will of Farore."

"How did he go from a legendary Hero to such a monster?" Link asked. "Is power really that corruptive?"

"His fall began long before he gained all his power," the spirit said. "It began when his little sister died."

"What do you mean?" Link asked.

"That was when he first began his descent into darkness. His sister died from injuries inflicted upon her by the great evil of that day. Her death fueled his desire to destroy the evil. He tried to show mercy, at first, but when the evil returned he destroyed it. And when he struck the killing blow, he thought of his sister, how she died, and he allowed rage to fuel that strike. His final strike was not done in justice, but in vengeance.

"He remained a Hero, but his heart was darkened. He still served the people, but as time progressed he became more and more concerned with finding those who are guilty and punishing them for their crimes rather than protecting those who are innocent. When the goddesses gave him his power he only became worse. He had the power to not only punish the guilty, but destroy them with a flick of his finger. The darkness continued to grow and grow until it consumed his entire soul, his entire being. That is when he became the monster he is now," the spirit said. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely, but first there must be some evil to work with. The second Hero, the lycanthrope, had none of the evil the Original Hero had. That is how the second Hero remained so pure, and all subsequent Heroes; they had no evil to start with," the spirit said. "Now, Hero, it is time for you to arise. Vale, Heros."

The Spirit of the Triforce of Courage faded. Link felt himself, not waking up exactly, but rather like he was rising through his mind, until he eventually opened his eyes and found himself in the very whitewashed Holodrum castle infirmary. Norman and Veronica were both asleep in chairs across from Link. Link was confused to see them. The last time he had seen them was when they were being arrested by those mechanuts. Link was very happy to see that they were alright, but he was still confused.

Alvin stepped into the infirmary. "Link, you're awake," he said, jolting Veronica and Norman awake.

Veronica blinked sleepily and yawned. Norman just sat up, eyes open. "You have almost completely lost that glow," he said.

"What glow?" Link asked.

"When you changed you glowed in a light so blindingly bright it was painful to look at. After you changed back, the light dimmed but still you were glowing. Now, the glow has almost completely faded," Norman explained.

So, the Deity did leave some lingering marks. "Oh. Anyway, how did you escape from the mechanuts?" Link asked.

Neither Norman nor Veronica looked confused at Link's use of the word "mechanut," and Norman began to explain. "We did not escape the mechanuts. We were taken to a prison where magic users were kept. The warden came into our cell to beat Veronica frequently. On one of those occasions, I attacked him and managed to get a key from him. We used the key to escape our cell and searched the prison for the device they had that was canceling the magic. That is why we did not try to escape before, the magic was being neutralized. We destroyed the device, freed the remaining prisoners, and left to find you. We arrived at the battlefield shortly before you changed," Norman explained.

"What did you change into?" Veronica asked quietly.

"A very powerful, very angry god who was sealed inside of the Triforce of Courage," Link said. "The Fierce Deity."

Both Norman and Veronica took sharp breaths in. They had heard Link tell the story of the Fierce Deity before. "He is inside of your Triforce piece?" Norman asked.

Link nodded. "That's why the Triforce stone told me about him. I can access his power for a while, at least until my body runs out of energy and I collapse. Then he goes back into the Triforce of Courage, and I return to myself," Link said.

"How long can you access his power?" Alvin asked.

"Five minutes," Link said. "About five minutes, when I'm at full strength."

Alvin made a face. "Five minutes? That's not enough time for any real kind of fighting."

"Alvin, did you not see the destruction he caused in that amount of time? With that amount of power, five minutes of more than enough time," Link said.

Alvin paused for a minute. "I suppose you're right. With that kind of power, imagine everything you could do."

"I will not use that power again. Not unless I have to," Link said.

"Why not?" Alvin asked.

"When he took over, I had absolutely no control. I could see everything he was doing, from his point of view, but I couldn't do anything. I can't control him," Link said.

"So, when he destroyed all those mechanical monsters, and nearly killed the king, that was just because he wanted to?" Alvin asked. "It had nothing to do with you at all?"

"Perhaps the anger I felt that served to awaken him gave him something to focus on, but I wasn't the one fighting. He cares only about punishing the guilty, and he will destroy anything and anyone who gets in his way. I will not, I cannot, allow something so dangerous to roam freely, even if for only five minutes," Link said. "Besides, I don't know if he can tell the difference between a truly evil murder and a petty thief stealing to eat."

"I see. And I don't blame you. Sometimes you need to take risks, like we did today, but other times, it's best to play it safe," Alvin said. "You have proven yourself an invaluable ally to us, and in the short time I've known you I've come to respect you, both as a person and as a warrior. If there is anything you need, Hero of Hyrule, don't hesitate to ask."

"Do you know where the Holodrum library is?" Link asked.

Alvin nodded. "It's in the capital, about twenty miles south of here."

"We need to go there," Link said. "The library may have knowledge we need to save Hyrule."

"So, that's why you came to Holodrum. I've been wondering why the Hero of Hyrule came here. You are free to use the library as much as you like. Hopefully the knowledge you find will help you save your land, as you've already saved mine," Alvin replied. Alvin turned around and left the infirmary.

"So, ready to go now?" Link asked.

"No!" Veronica said.

"We are all exhausted from the events of this day. I think it would be best if we rested the night here and resumed our search tomorrow," Norman said.

"Alright, fine, have it your way," Link said. "We'll leave tomorrow at dawn. And this time, dawn means dawn. Got that, Veronica?"

Veronica didn't answer, though, because she was already sound asleep.

Author's Note:

I was recently invited to join because of one of my other FanFictions. If any of you want to read some of my original stories, here's a link to my profile: userInfo?wid=2354. I don't expect or require anyone to look at it, it's just there in case someone wants to read more works by me but doesn't like Charmed or Once Upon A Time. As always, leave me a review or two. I love getting them.


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